The Accidental Arrival of Lauren Harris
by Mandagal12
Summary: While standing watch at a classified science facility, Lauren Harris is victim to an experiment gone wrong. Faced with a new life in Middle Earth, she struggles to discover her true identity and find a way home. Friendship, duty, and maybe love will make her question her loyalty.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings and I write this story as an avid fan with no profit or gain._

**Chapter 1**

The elves sat on the flet, eyes scanning the forest floor. After three days of skirmishes with orcs, most animals had fled the area. Only the occasional rabbit or deer dared to run below the patrol. Rúmil couldn't help but frown, the forest felt wrong without the sounds of life in it. The eerie silence made the elves uncomfortable. Rúmil only had to glance at the elves to his left and right to see their bodies tense and faces tight. Something was wrong, Rúmil thought. Beyond the borders of Lothlórien, the world was changing. Orcs and threats existed, but their presence in Lothlórien had proven rare. In all his years, Rúmil could not recall another time when orcs pressed so aggressively into the elven lands. Despite the guards of Lothlórien protecting the forest and driving the hordes out, more orcs arrived. In response, Haldir the Marchwarden had ordered double guards on the borders. Rúmil had never been on patrol this long before, but the two orcs he had killed the previous night washed away any weariness he felt. Orcs could not be allowed to pass the border.

"Perhaps the foul creatures have decided to give up," murmured the elf to Rúmil's right. Orophin spoke quietly and slowly readjusted the bow on his shoulder. He was a tall elf, taller than even Haldir, with golden hair pulled back neatly. As his older brother, Orophin had served in the guard for eighty years longer than Rúmil.

"Have you ever seen them attack with such numbers before?" Rúmil asked.

Orophin shook his head, "Not in my time. Haldir said it has been many years since this many have attempted to cross into our land."

The brothers fell into silence. Rúmil returned his gaze to the forest floor and thought about his eldest brother with only a hint of envy. Haldir was back in the city, enjoying his turn away from the border and sleeping away in a proper bed. No, Rúmil chastised himself, Haldir would not be relaxing at home. As Marchwarden, Haldir never allowed himself the luxury of relaxing. He took his responsibility far too seriously. In fact, Rúmil would not be surprised if Haldir arrived any day now to relieve them early. Two days, Rúmil reminded himself, only two more days until respite. The longer patrols were beginning to affect the elves. Elves had high endurance, but constant battle against a freshly arriving and energized enemy inevitably eroded that endurance. Their numbers dwindled too, Rúmil thought darkly, remembering the two elves they'd lost in the past day alone. Only two more days until Haldir's patrol was scheduled to arrive and relieve them.

Without warning, the loudest and most frightening noise Rúmil had ever heard thundered through the forest. The sheer volume of it caused half the elves to jolt to attention in the flet. Very few things indeed could shake up an elf. The tree which held the flet seemed to shudder for a moment before going still again. As quickly as it arrived, the sound was over, lasting no more than a second. As the echo began to fade away, the elves stared at one another in bewilderment.

"What in the name of the Valar was that?" hissed one of the guards.

Rúmil stood up, fear and adrenaline rushing through him. The elves all turned to Orophin, who was their leader. Just as Rúmil opened his mouth to speak, Orophin held up hand.

"Listen," Orophin snapped. "Hear that?"

Rúmil reached up and tucked stray hairs behind his ear. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and focused. He could hear the slight breeze pushing past the leaves and… shouts in the distance. Opening his eyes, he met the dark blue orbs of his older brother's intense gaze. They both recognized the sounds of running orcs.

"North," Orophin announced and without further prompting, the elves leapt off the flet. With inhuman grace, they jumped from platform to platform. Traveling above in the branches was faster than trying to run through the bushes and roots on the forest ground. As they ran, another sound made Rúmil's stomach drop- The unmistakable sound of a woman's high pitched scream. Rúmil, Orophin, and the rest of the patrol picked up their speed and soon arrived at the chaos. A horde of orcs in dark, broken armor were chasing after something. They ran and stumbled noisily through the forest greenery with weapons raised. Rúmil's nose wrinkled. Even from up high the stench of orcs was strong. Orophin silently gave orders with arm motions and the elven guards spread out amongst the branches. Each elf moved with such graces along the flets they made no sound, the orcs appeared not to even realize their presence. Rúmil took his respective position and drew what would be his first of many arrows. The elves stood in the shadow of the leaves and waited for Orophin to give the order.

The orc in the front of the pack came to a sudden stop, causing the orc behind him to come crashing into his back. Snarling, the apparent leader turned and glared at his companions. "Smell her out!" He growled, his voice was rough and callous. "She's here somewhere."

"Meat!" A stout orc broke away from the horde and called into the forest. It sniffed loudly and continued to taunt its prey, "We know you're out there! Come out, come out wherever you're hiding."

Orophin lowered his arm swiftly and the arrows began to rain down on the orcs. Their screeches and wails had no effect on the elves. With countless years of training and experience, the elven warriors loaded and fired their arrows faster than the orcs could run. The orcs crashed into one another and a few blindly fired arrows into the air above them. Within seconds, the screams of the orcs came to an end and there was nothing but an array of bodies lying on the forest floor. One by one, the elves jumped down and landed softly and quietly below.

Rúmil landed next to an orc. Curling his lip in disgust, he reached down and yanked his two arrows from the monster's back. The arrow tips came out cleanly, covered in thick dark orc blood. Unbroken arrows could be used again and with patrols doubled and out for longer watches, supplies needed to be managed conservatively. Placing them back in his quiver of remaining arrows, Rúmil observed the other elves searching the bodies of the orcs. However, Orophin was striding some distance away. His body was crouched, as if following a trail in the dirt.

"Stranger, show yourself." Orophin spoke loudly and Rúmil remembered the woman's scream. The younger elf ran after his brother and several elves followed. Looking down, he saw strange tracks in the dirt. He'd never seen tracks like these before.

"What sort of creature walks on two legs like an elf?" Beriadan whispered in horror. Only ninety years old, Beriadan was the youngest member of the Lothlorien guard. He had joined four years ago. With the least experience, Beriadan was easily the most cautious and anxious elf in Orophin's patrol. Usually, Rúmil found Beriadan's worries amusing and sometimes the others played tricks on the new recruit. However, no one mocked Beriadan this time.

"I do not know," Rúmil answered truthfully. He notched an arrow and followed his older brother, tense and alert.

"Show yourself," Orophin ordered again, withdrawing his elven blades as the group of elves began to close in on the tracks. "Come out or-"

Orophin stopped speaking and the elves whirled around. From the direction of the orcs' initial travel came the cackling of more orcs. Their footsteps were crazed and unorganized, but there was something different about this group. As the elves listened, they all heard the one set of footsteps that differed from the rest. Orophin pursed his lips and glanced between the direction of the incoming attack and the strange footsteps, deciding which to pursue. Making a decision, he nodded to the elves, "Get ready, we will not have the element of surprise this time."

Together, they ran back to the remainder of the patrol who had stayed behind with the orc bodies and together, the patrol lined up. Every one of the eighteen elves had an arrow at the ready. All eighteen elves had only one target in mind. Unlike the first group of orcs, this second one brought along a troll. As they drew nearer, the troll's grunts and heavy wheezing from running was unmistakable. Rúmil's concentration broke suddenly, as he thought about the trail of footsteps behind them. What if that creature came up behind them and attacked? At first he had thought it was an elleth or human wearing strange shoes, but what if Beriadan was right? What if it was a different kind of creature?

He looked behind the line of elven archers, but saw and heard nothing. The roar of the incoming troll forced Rúmil to forget his worries and turn back around. Rúmil had not seen a troll in Lothlorien in at least seventy years. What was causing the orcs to act so desperately? What were they trying to accomplish? Trolls had thick skin, it would take many arrows to take it down.

"What is that?" Beriadan's voice was steady and Rúmil admired the new guard's courage, but the fear in Beriadan's face still showed.

"A troll," Orophin answered calmly. "Aim for its eyes so we may blind it, but arrows will not have much effect. Whoever can get close must use a blade to take it down."

Suddenly, the orcs and troll arrived. Arrows shot through the air towards the massive troll. Its skin was blotched blue and brown, covered in dirt and now some blood from the many arrows that impaled it. Unfortunately, many of the arrows had been blocked with a primitive wooden plank that the troll used as a shield. With the first wave of arrows shot, the real battle began. Orcs cackled and threw themselves at the elves who were forced to fight hand to hand. Rúmil, like many of his fellow elves, decided against the bow and pulled out his blades. Rúmil's arms moved rapidly and efficiently through the air, his blades cutting through orc flesh. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the troll swing a club towards him and Rúmil threw himself to the ground just in time. Instead of hitting him, the club collided into the orc that was about to throw his ax into Rúmil. The blow sent the orc through the air, spraying black blood onto Rúmil. Jumping to his feet, he ran through the opening between the troll's legs, sliding his blades along the beast's legs. They cut, but it was not enough to bring the troll down. The troll howled in pain and tried to grab Rúmil who managed to escape the giant hands.

But Orophin was not so lucky. Rúmil watched in horror as his older brother cut down an orc with a final blow to the chest, but was knocked off his feet as the troll clasped its fingers around Orophin's torso. Rúmil had fought countless times at his both his brothers' sides. Only a handful of times had either Orophin or Haldir been in enough danger for Rúmil to worry. The three brothers were warriors and thus were accustomed to injuries and wounds, but Rúmil felt sheer panic as he watched the troll triumphantly lift the shouting Orophin into the air.

"NO!" Rúmil tried to run towards the troll, but an orc blocked his path. The orc smiled and revealed decaying, sharp teeth. The orc lifted a thick sword and Rúmil was forced to defend himself. Half his attention focused on the troll's lifted arm, he felt his heart freeze as the troll's muscles moved and the hand tightened around Orophin's body. Only a few more seconds and his brother would undoubtedly be crushed to death. Several other elves shouted in alarm and arrows shot at the troll. Two arrows pierced the troll's hand and it yowled, but the hand continued to squeeze. Orophin's scream distracted Rúmil so that he failed to block the orc's blade. It stabbed into his shoulder. Pain shot through him and Rúmil fell back, barely able to parry the orc's blade again with his remaining good arm.

Orophin's screams were overwhelmed with the loudest and most violent noise Rúmil had ever heard in his life. For the second time, the mysterious thunderous noise cut through the forest. It was the same noise that had initially scared the patrol earlier before the woman's scream. The battle came to a halt. Orcs, elves, and troll alike comically froze in place as their heads turned in the same direction. Standing at the edge of the battle, hiding slightly behind a tree was a human woman. If she hadn't just caused a noise equal to only thunder, they might have missed her presence entirely. The woman wore strange clothing with a pattern of brown and green colors, obviously meant to blend in with the forestry background. She wore a hat of the same pattern, but her thick boots were dark black. The color of her skin was slightly brown and her face slender. The expression she wore was a mixture of fear, determination, and shock. It was an expression Rúmil would never forget. Cautiously, the woman stepped out fully from behind the tree with her right arm outstretched, holding up a black piece of metal.

No one moved as she opened her mouth and spoke sharply. The words were entirely lost on Rúmil and most likely, all others as well. Few orcs or elves, and no trolls for that matter, knew the Common Tongue in this part of Middle Earth. Besides Elvish, most guards only knew enough Orkish to get by in interrogations. Only Haldir and few elves in all of Lothlorien could speak the Common Tongue. The woman faltered, uncertain at the lack of response. Stubbornly, she tried again but was cut off when one orc regained his senses. Angrily, it threw a knife in her direction. With reflexes that seemed far too natural for a woman, the mortal dodged the knife. Her movement seemed to wake up the rest of the battle participants. Instantly, the violence resumed. Orophin cried out in pain and Rúmil recovered faster than his opponent, cutting the orc down. Just as he took his first leap towards the troll, the woman shouted and BOOM!

For a third time, the thunderous sound cut through the air. This time, the elves knew exactly where it came from. The mysterious sound came from the woman, but not her exactly. The sound seemed to come from the metal she held in her hand. It was so small and Rúmil stared at her in bewilderment, until movement from the corner of his eye caused him to turn away from her. The troll was swaying on his legs weakly. Elves and orcs alike paused in their warfare to watch in astonishment as a single, thick trail of blood made its way from a hole dead center in the troll's forehead. The hole was abnormally circular. The troll collapsed suddenly to the ground, dead and still. The orcs began to scream in fright and retreated hastily, nervously glancing back at the mortal woman. Rúmil wasted no time in running to his brother's side. The troll had dropped Orophin to the ground and now the elf lay wheezing heavily, face contorted in pain. Rúmil touched the Orophin's side gingerly and pulled away as his brother yelped in pain.

"I think you have several broken ribs," Rúmil informed his brother gravely. "We need to get him back to the city! You, retrieve the cot! Hurry!"

The nearest elf ran off. Above in the flets would be a medical cot for Orophin to lay on and be carried back. For now, Orophin would need to wait on the ground for it to arrive.

"She saved me," Orophin sounded amazed and his neck twisted slightly so he could look at the woman. Rúmil looked with him and they watched as she waved her deadly black weapon around at the elves. She was yelling in the common tongue again, her voice more panicky this time. With the battle over, the elves were able to get a proper look at her. She was tall for a woman, tall like an elleth but not as slender. While elleths were slender and graceful, this woman was tall but lean. Her upper garb had its sleeves rolled up meticulously and besides the cuts from branches on her tan arms, the muscle tone was clear. Her face was slightly hidden under the hat, but he could see thick, dark eyelashes with brown eyes beneath. Mortals seldom ventured into the forest, but out of the few he had seen, none had looked anything like this mortal. From her clothing to her skin tone, she was startling different.

Rúmil never learned how to speak the common tongue fluently, but Haldir had taught him basic words. He slowly stood up from where he knelt by Orophin. His movement caused the woman to point the black metal thing at him. Rúmil stiffened and he glanced at the dead troll a few feet away. Whatever weapon she held, it was powerful enough to kill a troll with one strike. He looked at her with what he hope was a friendly expression and he lifted his hands, showing that he held no weapons.

"Peace," He said uncertainly. Rúmil prayed to the Valar that was the right word in the common tongue. He gained some confidence when the woman's arm relaxed slightly.

"Peace," He said again. This time, he took a small step forward. The woman became rigid once more and Rúmil winced. He shook his head and smiled, "Peace!"

The woman spoke rapidly in her language. Her tone sounded questioning and her eyes darted around nervously.

Resorting back to Elvish, he spoke softly, "We do not understand you, my lady."

Hearing him speak his own language, the mortal woman's eyes widened. The elves watched as comprehension flooded over her face. She paused, deciding on her next words. With her free hand, she pointed to Rúmil then gestured to the rest of the elves. Then, she said inquiringly, "Peace?"

Relief coursed through Rúmil. Excitedly he nodded his head, "Peace."

Keeping his hands up, he turned to his fellow guards and said softly, "Slowly put down your weapons. We must show the mortal that we do not mean her harm." They followed his instructions and thankfully, the woman did not use her weapon. She watched them as they all lifted their hands to mimic Rúmil. After several long moments, the woman gradually lowered her own weapon but did not drop it. Taking this as an encouraging gesture, Rúmil took one more step towards the woman and when she did not raise her weapon again, he pointed to her right.

There stood an elf, with the medical cot in hand. He stood there waiting for permission to move. Rúmil pointed from the elf back to Orophin and explained even though she would not understand him, "He needs a healer. Please."

Never in his life did Rúmil imagine himself asking a mortal for permission to save his brother's life. Mortals were supposed to be selfish, power hungry beings and he worried what she might do next. To his relief, she understood immediately and nodded. The elves immediately moved towards Orophin and several, including Rúmil, gingerly moved a moaning Orophin onto the cot. Two elves lifted the cot to their shoulders and moved off, disappearing into the trees. When they were gone, the remaining elves looked back to the mortal woman.

She boldly walked towards them, a determination in her face and stride. At her waist hung the black weapon that had killed the troll. The elves stood together, but Rúmil stepped out to meet her. When she was within two feet of him, she stopped and pointed at him meaningfully. Rúmil frowned, unsure of what to make of her gesture. She tilted her head in confusion back. After a moment, she turned her hand inward and pointed to herself, "Lauren."

"What is a Lauren?" Beriadan spoke out nervously from behind Rúmil.

The mortal woman smiled excitedly when Beriadan said the strange word. She pointed to herself vigorously and repeated several times, "Lauren. Lauren. Lauren."

"I think she is telling us her name," Rúmil pointed to her, "Lauren."

Lauren nodded her head and then pointed at him. She waited patiently.

Rúmil pointed to himself and said, "Rúmil."

"Ruuumill," She tried out his name, sounding it out. Pleased, she nodded and then gestured to the forest around them. Her face was questioning and he immediately knew what she asked.

"Lothlorien," He informed her.

Lauren's brows furrowed and then spoke rapidly in the common tongue. Remembering they could not understand her, she looked exasperated and then pointed in the direction the elves had carried Orophin away. "Peace?"

Rúmil nodded and began to walk that way, "Peace."

Journeying with Lauren the mortal proved tense. The elves kept to themselves and the mortal made no attempt to engage them in conversation. Rúmil had attempted to run ahead but was forced to stop when Lauren immediately pulled out her black weapon and shouted, "Peace!" Clearly, she didn't feel comfortable with him leaving. He couldn't blame her though, he was the only one who could speak a word of her language. That must have brought her comfort. Even though he yearned to race ahead and see how Orophin fared, he stayed behind. In compromise, he kept a fast pace and was pleasantly surprised when Lauren did not protest. She kept up with the elves without complaint, but she was very loud and her footsteps clumsy. The other patrols would be able to hear her coming from a mile away. Several times Lauren tripped over the roots but she did not fall behind. When they reached their flets, Rúmil ordered everyone in the patrol to stand the remainder of their watch. Despite the unexplained mortal and her weapon, the borders still needed guards. Rúmil only took Beriadan with him and Lauren.

The three travelled for several hours and soon, the sun began to rise in the sky. Streams of warm sun that made it through the dense canopy replaced the cool moonlight. Lauren looked around in wonder as they continued and it brought Rúmil pleasure to know that she found his home beautiful. After another hour, he noticed Lauren begin to slow.

Beriadan voiced his concern first, "We should stop and rest. The mortal is tiring."

"I agree," Rúmil came to a stop at the foot of a tree. "I'll climb and fetch the ladder."

As they spoke, Lauren watched the pair with a look of suspicion. The shadow from her hat made the mortal look especially dangerous, never mind the weapon of death at her waist. She asked a question and pointed at the ground then tapped her foot impatiently.

Beriadan attempted to communicate with her this time. To Rúmil's entertainment, the young elf lifted his hands and then the rested his head on them trying to imitate sleep.

"Mortals sleep with their eyes shut," Rúmil reminded his fellow elf, trying not to laugh. "They also snore, make wheezing noises."

Cheeks burning in embarrassment, Beriadan continued his charade. Complying with Rúmil's suggestion, he closed his eyes and attempted mortal snoring. It sounded more like choking, but Lauren made a sound of understanding. Then she shook her head and pointed ahead of them, "Peace."

"Seems like she wants to continue," Rúmil was still smiling, "Despite your wonderful offer of respite."

"Let us continue then," Beriadan cleared his throat and with pride, walked on. They travelled for the rest of the morning until the sun was high in the sky. Though they slowed down, Rúmil was content that they reached the outskirts of the city in good time. As the trees cleared away to reveal an overlook of the city, he heard Lauren catch her breath. The two elves watched as the mortal's face alit with unmistakable awe. For the first time, the mortal did not have a trace of fear or mistrust in her expression. Rúmil took the time to fully survey the mortal. She was indeed toned with muscle, but not enough to compare to a man or elf. Still, her body was unlike anything he'd seen. Unlike elleth who wore their long hair freely, Lauren had dark hair that was pulled tightly in a bun beneath her hat. He couldn't help but wonder how long it was. She seemed almost masculine, opposite of the famously graceful and beautiful female elves. Mortals aged differently than elves and Rúmil didn't know enough about women to make a guess at her age, but clearly she was not a child.

"Welcome to Lothlorien," Rúmil told her, feeling sincere in his welcome. Never had a mortal been able to walk freely and without blindfold into their borders, but she had saved his companions from battle and Orophin from sure death.

"Lothlorien," Lauren snapped out of her reverie. She said something in the common tongue and even though the elves could not understand, they knew it was a compliment. After seeing their destination, Lauren's pace increased and she seemed less defensive.

Both Rúmil and Beriadan paused not five minutes later. Not expecting the sudden stop, Lauren walked into Beriadan's back and jumped away. Before she could say anything, a dozen elves seemed to drop out of the sky. The frightened mortal withdrew her black weapon and aimed it warily at the closest elf to her. He was a well-built elf and looked similar to the rest. They all had the same light, golden hair, pulled back by thin braids, revealing pointed ears. Her gaze rested for several extra moments on the newcomer's ears and her eyes narrowed.

"Peace!" Rúmil did not hesitate to stand between his eldest brother and Lauren. He pointed to himself then to the Marchwarden, "Rúmil. Haldir."

Lauren bit her lip in contemplation, then nodded and lowered the black weapon. Haldir looked to the woman and said, "This is the mortal Orophin spoke of?"

Rúmil turned to face his eldest brother, "How is he?"

"He will survive but the healers said it will be a long recovery, he has many broken bones," Haldir shared. "He claims that a mortal woman saved his life."

"It's true," Rúmil confirmed. "Her name is Lauren and she speaks only common tongue. Beware Haldir, she has a weapon that killed a troll in one attack. It is as loud as thunder and-"

"We heard three times a noise unexplained," Haldir cut in. "Where is this weapon?"

"At her waist," Rúmil swallowed hard. "Haldir, it is nothing like I have ever heard of or seen. Whatever it does, it cut through a troll's skin without trouble and she stood over twenty feet away!"

"Did she use it against any of us?" Haldir asked seriously.

"No," Rúmil shook his head vigorously. "Brother, I think she can be trusted. She is suspicious of us naturally, but has made no move to harm us."

Pondering this information, Haldir stepped forward and bowed slightly, "You have my thanks, my lady. You saved my brother's life."

Lauren took a step back, shocked at the sudden use of English. She sputtered, causing the elf named Haldir to cock his eyebrow at her. He seemed almost condescending. Embarrassed, Lauren recovered and said, "Y-You can understand me?"

"Clearly," Haldir wasted no time and asked, "How does a mortal woman dressed in such garb make her way into Lothlorien?"

"Mortal?" Lauren frowned but then waved her hands in a defensive mode, "Wait, no. First of all, what are you?"

"I am an elf," Haldir responded calmly. "I am the Marchwarden of Lothlorien. Who are you?"

She didn't respond right away. Instead, Lauren looked from one elf to the next. She examined their clothing, their weapons, and most of all their ears. Then Lauren stared hard at the ground, her fingers pulling nervously at her shirt.

"I asked you a question mortal," The elf repeated. His voice was hard without the slightest bit of compassion. Rúmil winced slightly and wondered how any elleth could ever find his brother attractive. Rúmil knew Haldir was not truly a cruel elf, but the Marchwarden had much to learn when it came to speaking with elleth… Or in this case, to a woman. Too many times, Rúmil had witnessed Haldir destroy any chance of companionship with an elleth. Haldir only knew how to speak to soldiers and forgot that not everyone was war hardened border guard. This led to several elleth running away in tears and a confused Haldir behind.

Surprisingly, Lauren did not seem disturbed by the tone. If anything, it seemed to snap her out of her distress. The mortal woman's head snapped up and her eyes met the stare of the Marchwarden evenly. When she spoke, her voice proved strong and calm, "My name is First Lieutenant Lauren Harris, United States Marine Corps and there's been a terrible accident."


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings and I write this story as an avid fan with no profit or gain_.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Haldir the elf stared at Lauren with hard, calculating eyes. The blue orbs searched her face for the slightest hint of treachery. She only blinked patiently back at him. When Lauren had introduced herself, Haldir seemed unaffected by her words. Although he kept his face blank, the elf obviously had no idea what she was talking about- the United States didn't exist here. From the moment Lauren had laid eyes on the monsters in the forest the night before, she knew Dr. Williams had been right. Other worlds existed and unfortunately for her, she was currently trapped in one.

This thought made Lauren uncomfortable, breaking eye contact with Haldir to examine his ears again. They were the same as human ears mostly, apart from the pointy tip. What a strange world, Lauren thought bitterly. She supposed it could have been worst. At least the machine hadn't thrown her into a world where oxygen didn't exist. She could breathe the air here and even though she didn't trust them, the elves were preferable to the forest monsters any day. Lauren's eyes fell from the elf's ears to the quiver of arrows on his back. As far she knew, the weapons here were as primitive as the medieval ages. Judging by the elves and monsters' reaction to her gun when she'd shot the blue beast, Lauren felt confident that she was the only one with firepower in this world. Shifting her weight, she felt the sniper rifle that was strapped around her back move slightly. The elves had no idea what it could do.

"I'm not from this world," Lauren finally broke the tense silence. She couldn't help but laugh, "It sounds absurd and I still can't believe this is happening to me, but here I am."

Her original guide, the elf named Rúmil said something. The language of the elves made Lauren want to sing, it was so beautiful and soft. For all she knew, they could be talking about how to kill her and she'd listen with a smile on her face, enjoying the sounds. Haldir responded in the same language. Whatever he said, it made the other elves step away from Lauren uneasily.

"Another world you say?" Haldir's hand went to the blade at his waist. "Let us pretend that you tell the truth, what should we do with you? My duty is to protect my people and I will not have you using that weapon against us."

Lauren hands also dropped to her waist, but she did not unclip the gun. "I'm not here to hurt anyone unless they try to hurt me. Look, I'm just trying to get home. Do you have any scientists here?"

"Scientists?" Haldir said the world slowly and with strange pronunciation. The fact that he didn't even recognize the word gave her an answer and Lauren's stomach dropped. "Tell me who you really are woman. My brother lays injured and I have guards still out at the border, I don't have time for silly mortal games."

"I'm not playing a game," Lauren's voice grew louder. "Obviously you're not going to be able to help me. Who is charge of your city? I need to speak to someone who might know a way-"

She stopped when all the elves turned their heads at the same time, in the same direction. They seemed to be daydreaming together, a few even closed their eyes. It lasted for a few seconds and then, they snapped out of the reverie.

"What the hell?" Lauren whispered and unclipped her gun. She'd hoped these elf creatures were friendly but now she doubted their sanity. What just happened? Her feet started to slip back, ready to bolt and run.

"The Lady has spoken. She requests your presence," Haldir said, not sounding pleased by this. "You want to speak with our leader? Here's your chance."

"I'm not going anywhere until I know who this lady is," Lauren warned. Her hand hovered over her weapon. Had she just witnessed telepathic conversation? Was this lady the mother ship of all Elvin aliens? Fear and adrenaline began rise in Lauren's blood. What kind of creatures could communicate in their minds? The elves seemed to notice her change in mood and all shifted uneasily.

Rúmil stepped forward hastily and murmured into Haldir's ears. Haldir's poker face slowly ebbed away and he sighed impatiently, "My brother reminds me that you saved our Orophin's life. Although we do not know what to make of your claim of another world, he is right. I am unfair to treat you so suspiciously when I owe you great debt."

Surprised by this change of heart, Lauren looked at Rúmil who shyly smiled at her. She couldn't help but return it with her own small smile. Then she remembered the strange daydreaming incident and the smile vanished.

"How do you know this lady wants to see me?" Lauren asked.

"She has just told us," Haldir tilted his head, "Surely you have heard of the Lady Galadrial?"

The blank look on the mortal's face made Haldir frown. "Come," he signaled towards a path. "I will take you to her and Lord Celeborn."

Lauren hesitated but when Rúmil made excessive gestures, she began to follow the Marchwarden. She could either meet this Lady and Lord or face another day in the forest alone. At the moment, crazy elves didn't seem too bad. She followed Haldir and Rúmil in silence. The brothers spoke in their charming language the entire walk and made no secret of their glances towards her. Lauren huffed, causing Haldir to give her an amused look. Unlike his brother, who had made every attempt to make her feel comfortable with the elves, Haldir almost seemed to taunt her. He turned away when Rúmil hissed suddenly. The party of elves stopped and Lauren watched as Haldir closely examined his brother's shoulder. The tunic that Rúmil wore was ripped and stained at the right shoulder. Haldir appeared to ask a question and Rúmil shook his head, pushing away the Marchwarden.

"Will he be alright?"

The question's sincerity took Haldir by surprise. For a second, just a second, the surprise showed on his face. Lauren felt pleased to know that even the intimidating poker face of an elf could break. It was her turn to smile mockingly at him.

"Yes," the Marchwarden said curtly, his poker face back in full strength. After that, no one spoke. The elves maintained a few feet's distance from Lauren who kept her gun unclipped, but allowed her arms to swing naturally at her sides. When they reached the edge of the city, Lauren saw the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen. No, she reminded herself, not a woman but an elf. The elf had long, glowing golden hair that fell to her thin waist. She wore a plain but pretty dress made of a soft looking material. It reminded Lauren of a medieval costume. In the elf's hands was a basket full of vibrantly purple flowers. The female elf lifted her hand to wave at the approaching guards, but her arm froze when she saw Lauren. The two gaped openly at one another, both as shocked as the other. The elf looked away in embarrassment, her pale face warming up with blush.

Lauren would have laughed if circumstances were different. But all she did was continue to stare until they left the elf behind. Soon, she passed dozens of elves who all began to point and whisper. Lauren felt her heart thud in her chest. Oh my god, she realized in horror, they're all gorgeous. They were all beautiful, inhumanly, damnably gorgeous. Her eyes jumped from face to face, always looking at the ears. Her secret hope to see someone with normal ears quickly shriveled and died. Her spirits lifted slightly though when she saw several children playing chase. They all froze when they saw her though. The presence of families and children comforted Lauren. At least these elves didn't come from a city of barbaric cannibal warriors, she mused. So far, Lothlorien appeared to be a city not much different from those of her world. Except, Lauren noted bitterly, that here everyone was a model. Her fingers pulled nervously on her uniform shirt as she realized that they were all pale and golden haired. With her tan skin and black hair, Lauren stuck out like a sore thumb.

"Where are we going?" She finally asked. Haldir had dismissed the crowd of guards that had trailed behind her. Only she, Haldir, and Rúmil continued up a staircase that wound around the trunk of a massive tree. The tree was as large as a skyscraper and Lauren made sure not to look down. Maybe if she wasn't already in shock, the fact that she was climbing such a tree might have made her gasp. The Marchwarden did not answer. Soon after, they arrived at the stop of the stairwell. Lauren's legs felt heavier from the climb but forgot this when she noticed her surroundings.

"Oh my…" Her voice trailed off. They had arrived at the edge of a large room. It was a platform with beautiful wooden archways, covered by vines and flowers. A grand staircase at the opposite side of the platform led to what appeared to be a sort of palace. A wooden palace in high in a tree, Lauren shook her head in disbelief.

"Marchwarden," A deep voice called out. Lauren's eyes drifted to the top of the staircase where two elves stood. The couple proved Lauren wrong, elves could get even more handsome. Individually, the Lord and Lady could hold an entire crowd's attention with their striking looks. Together, they could rule the world, Lauren thought.

"Lord Celeborn," Haldir spoke as the two Elvin brothers approached their leaders and bowed their heads in respect. "Lady Galadriel, I have brought the mortal woman as you have asked."

Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel began to descend the staircase. Unsure of what to do, Lauren meekly made her way across the room and awkwardly stood. What should she do? Bow or maybe even curtsy?

"Welcome," Lord Celeborn's voice was deep and smooth. "What is your name?"

"Lauren Harris, sir," Lauren answered trying to sound polite.

"Child," The Lady Galadriel's silky voice made Lauren relax involuntarily. "Where do you hail from?"

Well here we go, Lauren mentally prepared herself. "I know this going to sound crazy ma'am, but I'm from a country called the United States of America. In my world, there are no such things as elves."

She stopped to see how the Elvin Lord and Lady reacted. Instead of laughing or mocking her, they both listened calmly. Lady Galadriel even smiled at her encouragingly. "Well…" Lauren cleared her throat. "In my world, a man thought other worlds could exist. His name is Dr. Williams and he built a, how do I explain it? He built a door to other worlds, but it never worked until yesterday." Her voice turned bitter, "Yesterday, the door exploded. It was an accident and it must have pulled me through it because I found myself in your forest being chased by monsters."

Not wanting to sound too crazy, Lauren forced herself to stop there. Lord Celeborn's eyes widened slightly and he turned to his wife. "Does she speak the truth?"

The Lady Galadriel looked carefully at the young woman in front of her. The elf's eyes seem to burn through Lauren. Finally, the Lady spoke, "Never have I met a mortal whom I could not reach. Her mind is there and I feel no evil from her, but I feel nothing from her. It is as though I cannot touch her."

Lauren noticed how Lord Celeborn and Haldir stiffened. Rúmil, unable to understand looked confused. "What do you mean touch me?" Lauren demanded, then regretted how aggressive she sounded. The last thing she needed was to piss off the king and queen of elves, but she didn't like the sound of this.

"Come with me child," Lady Galadriel offered her hand out to Lauren. Nervously, Lauren placed her hand in the elf's palm and allowed herself to be lead up the stairs. She glanced over her shoulder and saw that only Lord Celeborn followed. Against her better judgment, Lauren did not feel threatened. If the elves wanted her dead, they would have already killed her. The three came into another room filled with ornate furniture and paintings. Lady Galadriel led them through yet another doorway and released Lauren's hand. This room was opposite of the first. Here, the walls were bare and the only item stood in the center. A tall, stone pillar held up a white bowl. The bowl was filled with clear water and the Lady Galadriel stood over it. She looked into and up at Lauren, "Tell me what you see Lauren Harris."

Lauren cautiously approached the water and suddenly felt frightened. What sort of trick was this? Still, she let her eyes fall down to the liquid and relaxed when she saw nothing but her own reflection. A woman with tanned skin, brown eyes and black hair looked back at her. The silver bar of a First Lieutenant was slightly covered by dirt on her cover, likely from running for her life in a forest. Still, the sight of her rank gave her strength. Damn it, she was a Marine and she wouldn't fall apart. Clearing her throat, she stepped away, "I just see my reflection, ma'am."

"As do I," Lady Galadriel whispered. She looked to her husband, "I cannot reach her."

"Truly?" Lord Celeborn peered at his wife curiously. "What does this mean?"

"It means our guest is from another realm," Lady Galadriel drew near her husband and rested her hand on his chest. Even though it was an innocent gesture, Lauren couldn't help but sense the intimacy between the two elves. They seemed to be one being at that very moment, old and ancient together. "The world is changing my Lord, we have sensed this."

He nodded, "These are strange times."

"Excuse me," Lauren paled slightly when the elves looked at her. Their fairy-like faces still made her stomach twist. "Does this mean you believe me?"

Lady Galadriel's eyes glittered with amusement, "Yes child, we do. I can reach the minds and hearts of men of this world, but apparently not yours. What other explanation is there? Come, you must be confused and tired. You will find peace here Lauren Harris. Do not fall into despair, you have found a safe place in this world and tomorrow we can speak more about your future."

Should she trust them? Lauren knew nothing about this world, but so far the elves hadn't tried to kill her. In fact, the king and queen or lord and lady, whatever the hell they were called seemed to want to help her. Making her decision, Lauren secured the clip to her gun and bowed her head, "Thank you. Thank you so much."

Returning to the main room where Haldir and Rúmil stood waiting, Lady Galadriel spoke, "Haldir will take you to one of our guest quarters. We will send food shortly. Please, rest and know that all will be well."

The kindness made Lauren want to cry. Marines didn't cry, but she felt emotionally exhausted and struggled to keep her emotions in check. Sleep in a room far away from the monsters sounded like heaven. Haldir nodded at the order and turned swiftly on his heel, leaving Lauren to scramble after him.

As the pair left the room, Lady Galadriel turned to her husband with a long sigh. "My dear, this changes everything."

"I agree," He said. "I will write Elrond immediately and seek his council. Now, Rúmil, tell us everything."

* * *

"Haldir?"

The marchwarden did not have to look down to meet the woman's eyes. She stood tall enough that her nose would have touched his chin if she came close enough. He'd never met a mortal woman who came close to matching his height before. "Yes?"

"What were those monsters in the forest?"

Haldir frowned, "Truly, you do not know?"

"We don't have them in my-" Lauren thought better of her word choice, "…where I come from."

"Those were orcs," Haldir felt odd explaining such a well-known fact to a grown woman. "The small ones at least. The large one you killed with your weapon was a troll."

"Orcs and trolls," She breathed out. "I can't believe it."

Haldir led her through an array of stairs and turns. Lauren followed without paying much attention. Too caught up in her distress, she nearly ran into the elf but managed to avoid him by awkwardly colliding with a wall next to her instead. The elf's lips twitched, as if fighting a smile. Pride flared up in Lauren and she recovered with as much grace as she could muster.

"These," the elf opened a door. "Will be your quarters. I do not know what my Lord and Lady have planned, but I will return with food shortly."

With that, he vanished down the platform and around a corner. For the first time, Lauren took in her surroundings. The platform she stood on had an incredible view of the forest ground below. She looked up and saw that her assigned quarters sat halfway up the levels of wooden platforms and ladders. The city was like one giant, interconnected tree house Lauren mused. She'd never seen a city so lovely before. Elves wandered on the forest floor below and walked along the paths between the trees. They looked like angels, floating eerily and quietly. Not wanting to be spotted and pointed at again, Lauren tore herself away from the view and passed through the open door. She slowly closed it behind her and let out a soft gasp. The home was charming. She stood in a room she assumed as the living room. A soft, red rug at the center of the room complimented the décor of paintings and vases of flowers. She discovered a doorway on the far side of the room that led to the bedroom. A vanity with a mirror and chair sat in one corner besides a wardrobe. The only other piece of furniture was a large bed. Lauren collapsed onto it stomach first and for the first time, she felt calm and safe.

The sound of the door opening again caused her to jump off the bed. Quickly she returned to the living room and saw Haldir set a tray of food on the table. He sat down in an armchair and waited for her to join him. Lauren carefully lifted the rifle strap over her head and leaned the weapon against the wall. Taking her cover off her head, she let it hang from the rifle barrel tip. She sat down in the chair beside him and picked up a bowl of steaming soup. "Thank you," She murmured and tested the contents. Warmth and the delightful taste of vegetable broth slid down her throat.

The elf said nothing, but continued to watch her as she ate. Lauren didn't mind though and finished her meal of soup and bread easily. With a sigh of content, she sat back and relaxed into the armchair's embrace.

"As you are undoubtedly aware by now," Haldir suddenly spoke, his face guarded. "I do not hold mortals in the highest regard."

Lauren snorted, but held back a sarcastic remark.

"Therefore, it is…" The elf struggled for the word, "Unsettling to find myself in the debt of a mortal, a woman no less."

"Debt?"

"You saved my brother's life when you killed that troll," Haldir's voice was firm and solemn. "Lauren Harris, I do not know where you come from but the Lord and Lady have offered their protection and shelter and that is enough for me. So long as you remain in Lothlorien, I am in your service. If I am not here, my brothers will take care of anything you need."

"Where I'm from," Lauren said slowly, "It's my job to protect people. Don't worry about it, there's no debt. Besides, I don't plan on staying long. I'll find a way home."

The determination in the woman's voice made Haldir curious. He still believed her insane or confused, but she sounded too sincere for comfort. "And how," He snorted, "Do you plan on doing that?"

Lauren shot him a dirty look and stood up, "Look marchwarden, I don't know what humans are like in this world but we're not hopeless idiots. Stop talking to me like I'm a child."

"How old are you?"

The question took her by surprise, but she answered swiftly, "Twenty-four."

"You are a child compared to my age. When you reach eight hundred years, maybe I'll reconsider."

Her eyes widened, so elves were immortal then? Lauren recovered and tried a new tactic, "Regardless of age, we're both leaders in a military. Your rank is Marchwarden and mine First Lieutenant. If you don't respect my age, at least respect this." Her hands gripped her uniform shirt's collars, where silver bars were sewn in.

"Is that mark supposed to mean something?" Haldir paused, "Are you claiming that you, a mortal woman are a guard in your world?"

"We have different names for it, but yes," She said evenly. "And in my world, elves don't even exist."

"A woman leading guards?" The elf snorted again.

Lauren growled and she leaned over him, hands grabbing the arms of his chair. This caused Haldir to look up at her in amusement. "Are you trying to intimidate me?"

"You wouldn't be asking me that question if you saw what this," Lauren pulled out her gun and felt pleased when the elf stiffened, "could do."

"And tell me woman," Haldir leaned in, expecting her to move away in discomfort. But she did not move, instead her eyes narrowed as his face lifted until their noses almost touched. If she did not cause him to feel so irritated, Haldir might have been impressed by her courage. Little did she know, the marchwarden did not put up with disrespect. "Does your weapon protect you from this?"

Just as he finished his question, Haldir shot up so fast that Lauren barely had time to comprehend that he had thrown his shoulder against her chest and pulled her down by her arms. His grasp was tight, but not painful. He didn't mean to truly harm her, Lauren realized. The gun fell from her grasp and Lauren immediately began her defense. He was going to try to pin her down, but just as they began to fall, Lauren kicked up her legs to add to their momentum. This caused them to continue to roll after her back hit the rug below. They rolled until she had him pinned and twisting her wrist out of his fingers, she pressed her free arm hard into neck. One of the first things marines learned in martial arts was how to choke an enemy. They ended up with her on top ready to choke him, but Haldir's own free hand wrapped around her neck. They stared at one another, waiting for one to relent.

To her alarm, the elf warrior began to laugh softly. His throat vibrated with the noise and she felt his fingers release her throat and arm. Haldir arrogantly crossed his arms over his chest and looked up at her with eyes inhumanly blue. "Enjoying yourself?"

Lauren nearly laughed herself when she realized that he was trying to embarrass her. Everything she'd seen in this world had indicated a medieval sort of culture. She was no expert in medieval etiquette, but surely a woman straddling a man could cause a scandal. Unfortunately for the elf, Lauren had spent her entire life surrounded by men. With her father and brother in the navy and herself in the marines, wrestling down a man was part of her training. There was nothing sexual about wrestling for your life in self-defense. Men didn't make her uncomfortable in the slightest. Haldir lay there with arrogance as she continued to straddle him. He waited for her cheeks to burn red, she could just feel his excitement. "I don't understand you." Lauren withdrew her arm from his neck, but made no effort to remove herself. Instead, she lowered herself so their chests touched and she kept her lips hovered just an inch above his. Now, she thought, now it's sexual. She felt the elf go taunt and Lauren gave him a puppy face, "Is this how the great marchwarden treats his brother's savior? One moment you're thanking me, then next trying to kill me. You elves are very confusing."

When Haldir said nothing, she continued with a dramatic sigh, "Your mind games may work on the lady elves here marchwarden, but not on me. If you wanted me to straddle you, all you had to do is ask."

The elf glared, but before he could say anything, she whispered, "But I would have said no and kicked your ass for even thinking about it." With that, she smoothly stood up and offered him a hand. Haldir refused and got to his feet alone. His arrogance was long gone and he seemed to look at her with a new wariness. He gave her a curt nod and with inhuman speed, departed.

Left alone, Lauren gently massaged her temples. Had she made an enemy out of the marchwarden or gotten him to back off? She hoped for the latter because as one of the few elves who spoke her language, Lauren needed him. She still didn't know what the rank marchwarden entailed, but surely he had resources to help her search for others who had been dropped into the forest. Lauren felt a flicker of fear as she worried that no one else had been pulled through. Nothing was worse than being thrown into a different world than being the only one. The past twenty-four hours made her head hurt and all she wanted to do was sleep. Perhaps when she woke up, she'd find herself in a hospital bed with doctors telling her she had imagined everything.

Seeing the discarded gun on the rug, Lauren picked it up and ensured the safety was still on. Securing it back on her waist and getting her rifle, she moved to the bedroom. Lauren took off her combat boots then shed her uniform. Left in her undershirt, Lauren hid the rifle underneath the bed but left it close to the edge for an easy grab. Then under each pillow, she carefully placed a handgun. Satisfied with her weapons close by, Lauren unclipped her radio from her utility belt and slipped under the covers. The bed was not as soft as her mattress back home, but it beat laying on a forest floor any day.

"This is a radio check, one two," Lauren said into the radio. "Can anyone hear me, over?"

She listened for a several seconds, but only received static in response. Lauren repeated her call over every channel, but no one answered. Could she truly be alone in this new world? During the demonstration, at least twenty people had stood in the room when the explosion occurred. Lauren and three other security guards had stood closest to the machine, besides Dr. Williams. Maybe she had been the only one pulled through the machine. Part of Lauren was relieved. Two of the three other security guards were married with children. She couldn't imagine being torn away from your spouse and kids. But another part of Lauren yearned for other victims. The whole situation seemed a million times worse alone.

When her radio calls failed, Lauren shut the radio off. She needed to save the battery to repeat the calls tomorrow and the next day and for as many days as she could before the battery died. Just as the room darkened with the end of the day, Lauren fell asleep with her hand wrapped around the handgun under her pillow.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings and I write this story as an avid fan with no profit or gain.

**Chapter 3**

"Damn it!" Lauren lowered the radio onto the table in front of her. Her third radio call for the day had failed again. Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn exchanged disturbed looks.

"How does this device work?" Lord Celeborn asked.

"I speak into it and anyone else who has one can hear me," Lauren answered. "Think of it as my voice being carried through the air and someone can catch it miles away. The closer they are, the more likely they'll catch my voice. But hear this noise? That's static and that means no one is talking. There's no one responding."

"Fascinating," A new voice said. Lauren spun around in her seat and watched an elf walking towards the large table. He was a shorter elf, with hair so light that it nearly looked silver. Lauren could barely see the elf's eyes because the stack of scrolls he carried almost hid them.

"Lauren," The Lady Galadriel explained, "This is Maeron. He is in charge of Lothlorien's library and records. We've asked him to attend so he may preserve your story."

"He's going to record everything I say?" Lauren eyed the newcomer dubiously. "Is that really necessary?"

"This is an unprecedented event," The Elvin lady continued. "We know nothing of how our world will affect you. What if the magic of this land causes you to wilt away or lose your memory? What if in two hundred years, when you are dead, another stranger claiming to be from Earth arrives? It would be useful to have your scrolls as proof that it happened before."

"Okay," Lauren paused. "But I won't tell you how to build our weapons."

Lord Celeborn shook his head, "We have no desire to introduce a weapon such as yours into our world. It is truly a dangerous thing. A weapon like that would change our world forever and not for the better."

A heavy silence fell over the four. Then, Maeron sat down and dipped a quill into ink. He nodded to Lauren. "Whenever you are ready."

She frowned, "What do you want to know?"

"Let's start with who you are," Maeron encouraged.

"Well, um," Lauren cleared her throat. Normally that question required a simple answer, but she had a feeling that answering it would take up many scrolls. "My name is Lauren Harris and I'm from a country called the United States of America…"

And so she told them. She explained the USA and its military branches. Once they understood that, she explained her role as a First Lieutenant and job at the Blue Lite science facility. That's where things got more difficult. The elves seemed to struggle with the idea of science and scientists.

"Are you certain they held no magical abilities?" Maeron asked.

"Yes," Lauren eyed him curiously. "That's the third time you've brought up magic. Are you saying that there's magic here?"

The scroll master looked to the Lady Galadriel who nodded, "Yes child, magic is deeply rooted in this very forest. We elves have a close connection while men do not. Magic is what brings us our ability to heal and sense certain things. I have the power to speak into minds or foresee possible futures of those who look into their reflections. You can understood that being unable to do either with you proved very alarming."

"Oh," Lauren blinked. "Well, what does that mean? That I'm immune to magic?"

"Perhaps," The elleth relented. "I am curious to see if you are immune still in a year or ten years."

Unable to help herself, Lauren bit out, "I'll find a way home before that."

"We shall help you," The Lady Galadriel calmly responded. "Maeron has already begun searching for any mention of other worlds in our records and my Lord has written to Lord Elrond of Rivendell. I will reach out to Gandalf the Grey."

"Who?"

"He is a wizard."

Lauren nearly laughed out loud. She couldn't help but ask, "Does he have a wand and a lightning shaped scar on his forehead?"

Lord Celeborn leaned forward and asked quite seriously, "No he does not. Is that what your scientists look like?"

"No, I just meant-" Lauren shook her head, "Nevermind. So are you saying that in all of Middle Earth, my best chance at getting home would be between you two, this Lord Elrond, and a wizard?"

"Yes," Maeron said confidently. "You have just named four of the most powerful beings in this land. Lauren Harris, you are lucky to have landed in Lothlorien and into the very home of two powerful elves."

Hearing this, Lauren glanced at the two elven leaders with new appreciation. She did feel better knowing that she'd arrive in not only a safe place, but with people who could help. "What's the last thing I said?"

"You just explained your non-magical scientists," Maeron said helpfully.

"Oh, yeah. Well, I worked at a science facility called Blue Lite. Here, scientists were trying to build better weapons and tools that could help our military. It was all very complicated and the details top secret, very few people knew about the place. They had a team of guards stationed there to protect both inside and outside. They hired military men and women who are skilled shooters-"

"Shooters?" Maeron interrupted. By this point, Lauren was accustomed to his constant questions. At first it had irritated her, but she had to remind herself that these elves had zero knowledge of a modern world. She was not known to be a patient woman and found that even her best attempts at dumbing it down still caused Maeron to prod. Thankfully, the Lord and Lady only listened. Lauren was really starting to like the couple.

"These weapons," Lauren pointed to her handguns and the rifle that leaned against her chair, "are shot. Isn't that what you do with a bow and arrow? You shoot an arrow at a target? Well, we don't use arrows. We use bullets which are much faster and penetrate skin deeply, sometimes clean through. Anyways, they wanted sharp shooters and snipers, people who can shoot from far distances with accuracy, as guards. My father is well, he's pretty high ranking and when he heard about a position opening, got my name in. I'd been at Blue Lite for a year and never saw anything go wrong. The machines they built were amazing…"

Despite her best efforts, Lauren felt a shudder pass through her. She'd been a military brat from birth and with a father and older brother as Navy SEALs, she'd had a fair exposure to weapons and gears. Her father had left behind the missions for an important desk job in Washington, but he had access to weapon information way above her paygrade. She doubted that her brother, LT Anthony Harris, even had a hint of what their father knew. She'd always wondered though- 2020 was a year full of new inventions. The world had begun a shift from gasoline and coal to nuclear energy. France had been doing it for decades, but the United States had only just started. Her father never shared what the military was cooking up, but his insinuations strongly leaned towards nuclear energy. Then the shore tour at Blue Lite opened up and Lauren found herself with orders to report immediately. With her lifelong shooting practices, membership of her college's sharp shooter team, and performance during shooting qualifications in the marine officer TBS (The Basic School) she met the requirements easily. Her first day at Blue Lite had changed her life forever. More than that, she knew that Blue Lite would change the world. An army ranger had given her the tour and explained her responsibilities. She'd been surprised to learn the guards were a ragtag team of fine shooters from all branches of the military, both enlisted and officer. They didn't care where you came from as long as you could shoot.

The scientists didn't talk to the guards much. The ranger had taken her from laboratory to laboratory, pointing out various prototypes and projects. Most were nuclear based and focused on creating self-sustaining gear. Then she'd been introduced to the head scientist, Dr. Williams. An older gentleman with degrees in fields she couldn't even pronounce, he was positively thrilled to meet the new recruit. "Life gets so boring when you're surrounded by boring old science farts," He'd said. Lauren had laughed outright because he looked like a textbook science geek himself. Even with his pale complexion, thick glasses, and clothes far too big for his frame, Dr. Williams was different from the other scientists at Blue Lite. He was friendly and eager to share his projects with Lauren. They'd become friends over the months as she stood guard in the corner of his laboratory. He'd requested her because she enjoyed listening without asking too many questions.

"Are you cold?" Lord Celeborn asked when Lauren had shuddered, "I will close the windows."

The morning was colder than comfortable, but none of the elves seemed to notice. The mist still clung to the forest, even though the sun had risen a few hours earlier. Lauren had rolled down her sleeves when the cold air drifting through the large glass stain windows caused goose bumps.

"I do not think it is the cold my dear," Lady Galadriel watched the mortal woman very carefully. "I may not be able to feel your heart and mind Lauren Harris, but I can still see something troubles you."

"Our technology is growing so fast," Lauren said quietly. "The scientists figured out a way to safely produce clean energy for our world. It's called nuclear energy and don't even ask me to explain it, I barely understand it myself. For the last five years, we'd been harnessing it to power our cities and transportation but at Blue Lite… Blue Lite was building weapons using nuclear science. Imagine a bow and arrow where you never ran out of arrows. They were building weapons like these guns which would have bullets made of energy. No more having to carry bullets- or arrows in your case."

"Where would the arrows come from?" Maeron asked, his voice also sober.

"The world around you," Lauren whispered. "They had found a way to harness the energy from the world itself. Something about neutrons-" She pointed at Maeron, "I'm not even going to bother trying to explain those to you so don't ask. From what Dr. Williams said, it's like there's billions of energy pulses passing through the air every second. At Blue Lite, they were creating machines that could catch and shape this energy. That's as far as they had gotten, but their goal was to be able to shoot this energy through a weapon. Imagine an arrow that no shield can block, you can't stop pure energy."

They party of four sat in silence. Each individual realized the implications of such weaponry and technology.

"That would change a world," Lord Celeborn shook his head slowly. "It would shatter the conventions of warfare."

"It will change everything," Lauren agreed. "But like I said, they were still in the beginning stages. Dr. Williams figured it would take them another couple of decades to be able to perfect it."

"Two decades are but a mere blink of an eye for an elf," Lord Celeborn stated. His tone was bland with no sort of jab at her mortality or condescension.

That made Lauren shudder again. She wondered how old these elves were. They looked healthy and no older than forty-something. Haldir and his brothers looked like they were in their twenties. Trying not to think about their true ages, Lauren returned to the subject at hand. "Dr. Williams had another project, one he worked on alone. Since I was stationed in his laboratory, I have a general understanding of its purpose. The higher ups in the military wanted a way to transport troops and supplies fast and quietly. We had already built our planes and ships to run off nuclear energy-"

"Planes?" Maeron asked with a sweet smile. He could feel the irritation radiating off Lauren as she gave a quick explanation. The more the elves learned about her world, the less shocked they looked with each new explanation. The only response to the idea of flying machines was Lord Celeborn leaning forward in interest.

"Anyways," She took a deep breath. "Dr. Williams was sure he could find a way to move people instantly from one location to another. Can you imagine it? One second you're here in this room and then you step through a door of energy. The next second you're on the ground below, hundreds of feet travelled instantaneously. He was able to create the door, but there was one major problem. He had no idea where the door led and how to change it to a desired location. He sent all sorts of things through- cameras, radios, and even once a mouse. None of them ever returned and he never got a signal from the camera or radio, only static like I'm getting now. Nothing ever came through the door to us either. Well, the Vice President, our second leader I told you about earlier, wanted to come see the machine himself. It was a big deal. Dr. Williams warned him that he didn't feel ready to demonstrate anything because of his failed experiments, but you can't exactly say no to the second highest boss. The VP arrived with some other top military dogs…"

Lauren's hands tightened into fists and she felt her throat burn with emotion. "Unfortunately, my father was also present. I'd been so happy to see him… And then the demonstration began. Dr. Williams turned on the machine and started to give a speech when it suddenly, I don't know exactly because it all happened so fast, but it exploded. I remember a huge burst of heat and the feeling of being lifted into the air. There was a lot of screaming and I swear, the last thing I saw was my dad on the ground, arms covering the VP but he was looking at me. And then, nothing."

The elves were quiet as Lauren hit the table with her fist violently. Maeron even stopped writing ferociously with his quill and listened with a morose expression. "Absolutely nothing until I found myself standing in the middle of this stupid forest!"

After several moments, Lauren regained control and swallowed hard. She had spent her first minutes awake in bed sobbing in privacy. All her life, she'd been taught not to waste time on crying. It didn't do anything to solve the problem. Even as a young girl, her father would only allow her a short fit of crying before making her quiet down. The burning of her throat slowly ebbed away and Lauren felt calm again. Crying won't solve the problem, she repeated over and over in her head.

"I think that is enough for today," Lady Galadriel said standing up. The two other elves joined her and the three looked down at Lauren with kind, gentle expressions.

"What now?" Lauren said dumbfounded.

"We think it would be best for you to start learning our language," The Lady said with a smile. "No matter how short or long your stay is, life will be much easier for you if you could speak with our people. Lessons will also help pass the time."

"Okay," Lauren stood up. She needed something to keep her busy. When marines were given an order they carried it out. Learning a language was no easy feat and it gave her a purpose. "When do we start?"

"Now," Maeron said happily as he collected his scrolls and ink. "If you will follow me please, my lady."

Lauren picked up her rifle and swung it around her back. She'd been called ma'am countless times, but never my lady. It had a nice ring to it, but Lauren wasn't much of a lady. She held back a snarky remark and obediently followed the elf out of the room. Maeron led her out of the Lord and Lady's house, across several bridges, and through the maze of flets. As they walked, he pointed out a variety of places. Taking it upon himself to play tour guide, the scroll master showed her the blacksmith quarters, market shops, and great dining hall. Lauren did her best to pay attention, but she was heavily distracted by the stares of every elf they came across. Elves would slowly edge away as they passed, some stopped altogether and gaped unashamed. She felt like a zoo animal- with her tan skin, dark hair, and marine uniform she was an exotic beast.

"…and they make wonderful jewelry," Maeron chatted away, oblivious to her inattention. "And this is the library. Here you will have your lessons with my assistant Tiriel. Ah, here she is."

Lauren had followed the elf into a large tree structure. As the doors closed behind her, she found relief in the giant room immediately. Apparently, Lauren thought happily, libraries were the same no matter what world you found yourself in. Books and scrolls lined dozens of shelves on the walls or covered tables and chairs in stacks. Lauren had never been a library fanatic, preferring to study in her own dorm or room. But she had done her American college student duty of cramming for finals in the library. She'd hated every second of the stress. Now, Lauren had never been so happy to be in a library. It was quiet, away from the staring elves, and besides the presence of candles instead of light bulbs, it reminded her of the normality of Earth.

"Welcome to sanctuary," A soft voice drew Lauren back into reality. An elleth stood in front of her, hands clasped nicely and a sincere smile on her face. She was beautiful, as all elves were, but in an especially natural way. Tiriel wore a simple purple dress and her hair fell down in gentle waves to her waist. Lauren suddenly felt self-conscious. She had never cared too much for makeup and dresses. Marine women had more important things to spend their energy on, but still, being surrounded by model equivalent elves made it hard not to care.

"Now, let's teach you some Elvish," Maeron said cheerfully. Lauren groaned, knowing she had a long day ahead of her.


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings and I write this story as an avid fan with no profit or gain._

**Chapter 4**

"This shit is hard!" Lauren threw down the quill, causing ink to splatter onto her parchment. She should've been more patient, but Lauren despised the feeling of inadequacy. Having a SEAL father and older brother meant failure wasn't an option. Her mother had been an officer too, until she got out of the navy to start having children. In the Harris family, you finished what you started.

Tiriel sucked in a breath, "You… You are very colorful with your language."

"Sorry, it runs in the family," Lauren muttered. The saying about swearing like a sailor was definitely true. Marines were arguably worse. The fact that she hadn't slipped the 'f bomb' was an achievement. "I'm terrible at this."

Tiriel picked up the discarded quill and offered it to her distressed student. They had begun with the alphabet and numbers. Elvish was beautiful when Tiriel spoke and wrote it, but Lauren's attempts at writing the letters reminded her of drunken Chinese scribbles.

"Worry not. It is your first day and you have done well for someone who knew nothing of the language three hours ago. Please, continue."

Teachers were like parents, Lauren thought to herself. They told you good job even when they knew your work was total and complete crap. Still, Tiriel's words of encouragement convinced Lauren to take the quill again. About an hour later, Tiriel stood up and said, "That is enough for today. I've been asked to take you to the seamstress. You will need to be measured for your gowns."

Lauren knew she couldn't wear her uniform forever, but dresses? She nearly began to protest, but realized that she'd complained enough for today. It was only her first day with Tiriel and she didn't want her teacher to think of her as a whiney brat. So, she said nothing and followed the elf out of her designated study room. They left the library and traveled through the city.

"When you would like respite from our studies," Tiriel chuckled and Lauren had to smile too. They both knew she made a poor student with her impatience and energy. "We will walk about the city. It will be good practice for you to speak with others."

"Sorry, it's been a few years since I had to sit down classroom style. That probably sounds silly to you," Lauren frowned. "I bet a few years means nothing to you."

"I am only two-hundred years old, quite young for an elf. I still appreciate time."

"Well, all I can say is you look fantastic for two-hundred!"

The elleth and woman laughed together. Lauren enjoyed her company and was glad to have Tiriel as her teacher. Despite her true age, Tiriel looked to be a couple years younger than Lauren. Even though they were different in species, age, and realm there was still a common bond in being a young woman.

"So I have a question," Lauren announced.

"Ask anything," Tiriel said kindly. "I am to be your guide in joining our city."

"Okay. Don't take this the wrong way, but everyone is staring at me like I'm an alien so I've got to ask. Is everyone in this whole world white?"

Tiriel's eyebrows furrowed, "White? I do not understand."

Lauren held her arm close to Tiriel's. "Does everyone in this world have skin color like yours? Like white? Or are there people like me with more brown skin? Maybe even darker or black?"

Tiriel's eyes went wide, "Black?"

"I'm going to take that as a no," Lauren whistled. "Oh boy."

"My apologies," Tiriel regained her composure. "Yes, elves and dwarves are lighter like me. Most mortals are too, but there are lands to the south of Gondor where mortals called the Haradrim live. They live in deserts with unrelenting sun. I have never seen them myself but have read that their skin is dark and brown from the sun. What is wrong Lauren?"

Waving her hands frantically, Lauren said, "Whoa, wait a second. Did you just say dwarves?! As in the short fat men who mine and save a princess from an evil queen?"

Tiriel tilted her head, "Dwarves are indeed miners, but I have never heard of this evil queen tale. Your world sounds most strange."

"What else do you have in this world? Unicorns? Flying monkeys? Please don't say dragons."

"None of those," Tiriel reconsidered. "Well, at least there hasn't been a dragon in many years."

Lauren gaped, "Where the heck am I?!"

"I have a question for you," Tiriel said cheerfully. "What is an alien?"

The tension flooded out of Lauren as she burst into laughter. "Oh man, they're going to sound pretty lame compared to a dragon."

And thus a friendship was born.

* * *

The seamstress was the most normal elleth she'd seen. No silky clothes or hair flowing down in perpetual perfection. Instead, the elleth wore cotton-based clothing with her hair put up neatly in a braid. As soon as Lauren walked in, the elleth had given her one up and down then shrugged in dismissal. Lauren immediately liked her. She didn't stare at Lauren like she'd seen a ghost. With the help of Tiriel's translations, Lauren found herself standing with arms stretched in her undershirt and shorts. "Yara admires the stitch work in your clothing, it is very neat. She wants to know how the seamstress did it."

"Actually, it was a machine. In my world, seamstresses guide a machine because its much faster and efficient."

Tiriel translated and Yara scoffed, disbelieving.

"Can you ask her if she can make some clothes for me like those the guards wear? I'll wear trousers every day."

"You want tunics?" Tiriel was not surprised, but clarified.

"Yes please," Lauren paused. "Or are women not allowed to?"

"No, we are," Tiriel responded. "It is just rare for elleth to wear tunics unless we are traveling or riding. I shall ask."

After some Elvish conversation and Yara finishing her measurements, Lauren redressed. Suddenly, it occurred to her. "How am I supposed to pay her?"

Tiriel's eyebrow rose. "He didn't tell you?"

"Who didn't tell me what?"

"Marchwarden Haldir has taken you into his household's name. He is paying for your clothes, food, and anything you may purchase."

"What?!" Lauren crossed her arms, "I told him there wasn't any debt. This is ridiculous!"

"You saved his brother's life," Tiriel stated matter of factly.

"Would you mind taking me to his house? Flet, whatever it's called. I need to have a word with the Marchwarden."

"He returned to the border early this morning."

"Damn him," Lauren waved to the seamstress and headed outside. "Do you know when he'll come back?"

"I do not know much about the guards' schedule, but lately they've been out for three weeks at a time."

"Three weeks?" Lauren muttered, "Guess that gives me plenty of time to practice then."

The two meandered through the city and eventually came to the market. Elves moseyed past the vendors, everyone calm and graceful. Instead of vendors shouting and customers loudly shopping, everyone exchanged amiable conversation. Clearly the elves had a much more regal culture than medieval humans. Lauren always thought of markets being like the loud bazaars she'd seen in movies. The market composed of mostly food, clothing, and jewelry stands. Highly paranoid that everyone knew she was under Haldir's tab, Lauren looked at the wares but was careful not to linger on anything too long.

"Does your world care for jewels too?" Tiriel asked.

"Yes, very much. I don't normally wear much in uniform because only certain types are allowed, plus it gets in the way. Most women wear jewelry though back home."

They approached a stand where a handsome elf welcomed them graciously. His eyes stayed on Lauren for an extra few moments, but she was quickly growing accustomed to the curious stares. The vendor said something to Tiriel who translated, "He wants to know if you like his work."

Lauren nodded, impressed with the array of necklaces, rings, and earrings in front of her. "He has a lot of talent."

Hearing her compliment through Tiriel, the jeweler beamed and spoke again, this time more excitedly. "He is glad to hear it. He has just finished his apprenticeship and this is his first week at market."

Lauren gave the vendor a thumbs up and when he returned the gesture, she was glad that thumbs up was truly a universal symbol. She was about to make her exit when a necklace caught her eye. A silver chain necklace with a single jewel, an emerald, made her reach out impulsively. Just before her fingers touched it, Lauren snapped her hand back and walked away. Tiriel quickly followed.

"What is wrong?"

"Nothing."

The elleth gave her a wry look, making Lauren roll her eyes. "Oh fine! My brother gave me a necklace just like that. Normally I wear it under my uniform, but the morning of the accident I'd gone running and took it off. I wish I hadn't forgotten to put it back on now. Would've been nice to have with me here."

Most people would have changed the subject, not wanting to make her feel worse, but Tiriel pursued it. Lauren was really beginning to like the elleth. "Tell me about your brother. Was it a gift for a special occasion?"

"His name is Anthony. He also was a guard in my world, but a different kind. He was one of the best, trained to survive and kill in the worst situations-" Lauren cut off, horrified at the realization that she used the past tense. No, she chastised herself. She would not give up hope. "He's called a SEAL. My father is one too, but he doesn't fight anymore. He's an admiral now, which means he's part of the leadership now.

"And you are called a marine?"

"Yup and just to confuse you even more, let me tell you about my mom. She was another type of guard."

"You have many guards in your world," Tiriel said. "I wonder how dangerous it must be to require so much protection."

Lauren ignored the last comment, not wanting to delve into modern warfare and weapons again. "My mom used to be a sailor, which means she went out to sea on a ship. After she married my dad, she quit to have Anthony. Enough about me though, tell me about your family."

The two continued to walk and Tiriel turned their conversations into a lesson. She taught Lauren how to greet and introduce herself. For the next hour, Tiriel forced her student to greet every elf they passed. Lauren expected people to laugh at her and her awful accent, but instead each elf seemed pleasantly surprised and sincere in greeting her back.

"How do you say I'm hungry in Elvish?" Lauren said jokingly a while later.

Tiriel chuckled, "Follow me. Let us join everyone for dinner in the hall."

Lauren admired the elves' strong sense of loyalty to each other and work as a community. While they had kitchens in their homes, elves often chose to dine together in the great hall. As they entered, dozens of heads turned to see them arrive. Even though her stomached twisted slightly, Lauren found some comfort in recognizing a few elves that she'd greeted earlier. She relaxed when she realized that the stares held no hostility, only curiosity and surprise.

"Lauren!" A familiar voice called out. The hall wasn't fully indoors, its walls and ceilings were made of tree branches and flowers. Tables lined side by side to make several long trains. Towards the middle of one stood Rúmil. His right shoulder was wrapped in a bandage, so he waved with his left. Lauren moved forward but hesitated when Tiriel stood still.

"Aren't you coming?"

Tiriel's eyes cast downward. "I do not know Rúmil, he is waving only to you."

All day, Lauren watched Tiriel greet and be greeted by dozens of elves with a sense of friendly familiarity. She was surprised to see Tiriel suddenly act shy. "Nonsense. What a perfect opportunity for you to teach me how to introduce other people to each other."

They approached Rúmil. Tiriel attempted to teach Lauren, but it was a disaster. Aware of the nearby elves listening avidly, Lauren's nerves caused her to stutter. After several corrections from Tiriel and encouraging smiles from Rúmil, they sat down. A young, well he looked young at least, teenage elf arrived shortly with two plates of food and cups of wine. Dinner proved awkward. Lauren and Rúmil couldn't communicate and neither of them wanted to rely too much on Tiriel. Lauren already felt bad that her friend had translated for her all day. She also felt guilty if she and Tiriel spoke in the common tongue, leaving Rúmil out. So the three sat in silence and ate their meals peacefully.

"Hey Tiriel," Lauren said after some time. "Where can I find supplies for bathing? Like a towel or-"

Suddenly, the radio at her waist came to life. A desperate voice broke through static, "H-Hello? Is anyone out there? This is Airman Greer, does anyone copy?"

The elves surrounding Lauren had gone silent in shock at the voice seeming to float in the air. Lauren grabbed the radio from her utility belt and felt adrenaline rush through her. "Greer, this is LT Harris. Do you copy?"

The entire dining hall watched her now. They must have thought her crazy for talking to a voice coming out of a black box. She couldn't care less though. Finally! Finally she knew she wasn't alone.

"Thank god ma'am. Where you at Harris? Is anyone else with you? Over."

Lauren was already running towards the hall exit. Rúmil and Tiriel chased after her. "Found refuge in a city in a forest. Negative you're the first to make contact. What's your position? I'm coming to get you. Over."

"Not sure, I'm by a river though heading south if the sun sets like our world. Better hurry ma'am, over."

"Why? Are you injured? Over."

"You're going to think I'm nuts, but there's an army of monsters out here. Managed to lose them yesterday, but I think they're coming my way. I'm not making this shit up, over."

"I believe you. Hold on, over." Lauren turned to Tiriel. "Can you ask Rúmil how we can locate my man? He's by a river and says there's an orcs close by."

Tiriel translated and quickly responded, "Rúmil wants your man to climb a tree and find the nearest flet. Each one is numbered, it's carved into the corner of the platform. He also want to know how many orcs."

Speaking into the radio again, Lauren said, "Greer the guards of the city use wooden platforms in the trees. Climb a tree and find one, it should have a number carved into the corner. Also, how many monsters? Guards want an estimation, over."

"Roger that. About eighty- some bigger than others. Over."

"Conserve battery. Report back with the number but radio silence from here on out. Those monsters have sharp hearing, don't want our comms to blow your cover. Over and out."

As Lauren returned the radio to her belt, Tiriel spoke. "Rúmil says we must warn Haldir and the others of the orcs. He says to follow him, you will take horses since he is injured and speed is needed."

"Thank you Tiriel," Lauren hugged the elleth impulsively. She was bursting with energy and excitement, but also worry for Greer. Tiriel had known her for a day and she proved a true friend.

The elleth stiffened in surprise, but relaxed and returned the embrace. "Go and be safe."

Rúmil and Lauren ran through the city until they descended to the forest floor. He led her to a long, wooden structure. The piles of hay outside and stink informed her that these were the stables. After a few minutes, Rúmil emerged on a horse. Another elf followed, pulling a second horse by its reigns.

"Crap," Lauren muttered. She had never ridden a horse before and truth be told, the giant animals always frightened her. Greer was out there in the forest alone with monsters close behind. She couldn't leave him out there. Very awkwardly, Lauren managed to get herself up and into the saddle. Thankfully, the horse didn't try to eat her and followed after Rúmil's horse without any prompting. The horses didn't gallop. With the forest floor covered in vegetation and the night making it difficult to see, they kept to a steady trot. She was grateful that her horse needed no direction because Lauren struggled to see into the dark forest. She sat uncomfortably, bruises forming on her back where the rifle bounced against. About an hour into the ride, her radio crackled into life again.

"Took me a few trees, but 38. Will stay put, over."

"Roger that. Over and out."

Rúmil looked back questioningly. Lauren held up three fingers, paused, then eight. He nodded solemnly and they continued onto the night, both with their own missions. Lauren needed to protect Greer while Rúmil had to protect his brothers and city from an attack.


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings and I write this story as an avid fan with no profit or gain._

* * *

**Chapter 5**

"You've got to believe me," Lauren threw her fist down. The table rattled, causing scrolls to shift and the lanterns shake. "They're coming and my man is stuck out there alone."

The Marchwarden stood on the other side of the table, arms crossed and expression calm, almost bored. He had listened to her in silence and continued to stand there without saying anything. They'd been reunited for no more than ten minutes and Lauren already had the urge to punch him in the face. Haldir was quickly becoming an expert at getting under her skin.

"We can't waste any time so I'd appreciate if we could start planning," Lauren huffed.

"Prove it."

"What?"

"Prove that you can communicate with someone who is miles away," Haldir clarified. "I am not about to risk the lives of my people for something that sounds impossible."

"Listen to me dickhead, Greer is out there alone with at least eighty orcs close behind. What if they hear my voice?"

"We do nothing without proof," The Marchwarden said without sympathy. He ignored her insult, but she could see his muscles tighten. Clearly he was the type of leader who wasn't used to being challenged. She didn't care though, not when Greer's life was at stake.

"If he dies," Lauren warned, equally as cold. "I will kill you. Ally or not."

Haldir only nodded and waited.

Lauren took the radio from her waist and said in what she hoped was a quiet, calm voice, "Greer? Over."

The answer was instantaneous. Greer spoke quietly too, but he didn't sound frightened, just tired. "LT, I'm here. Over."

"What's your status? Over."

"Dehydrated and hungry," Greer responded seriously. "But alive. How far are you? Over."

Lauren's eyes turned to slits as she looked the elf. He was staring at her radio with wide eyes, his arms now limp at his sides. Not much took the proud Haldir by surprise and normally she would have enjoyed this rare display of emotion, but now she only felt anger and impatience. Haldir shook his head, as if to remind himself of reality and instructed, "Tell him we will be there in two hours."

"Two hours, stay put. Over and out."

"A device that communicates over great distances instantly," Haldir rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "Such a device would change everything. We could protect our lands against surprise attacks…"

"Like the one coming our way right now," She pointed to the map that covered the majority of the table below her. "Now, where is station 38?"

The change in the Marchwarden sent shivers up Lauren's back. She was a military officer and before that, a military brat. The change in Haldir was the same change Lauren witnessed her father undergo every morning. He'd sit at home eating breakfast with his family as a father, joking and lighthearted. But as he stepped through their front door, the Admiral took over. Her father became a leader, a man who walked straight and a powerful demeanor. Just as her father took command, the elf in front of her straightened and began to give orders. Haldir radiated control and authority, she couldn't help but feel drawn by his deep voice.

She couldn't understand anything he said, but elves around her moved with purpose. Some left the flet and disappeared down a ladder, others began packing and organizing. Rúmil had brought her to what she guessed was the commanding station for the guards. This flet was large and generous, filled with supplies and lamps. Scrolls and maps of the forest littered the station.

Finally, Haldir finished and returned his attention to her. "This is flet 38," He pointed on the map. "And this is our current location."

"What's the plan?"

"We will get this mortal man and draw them to a location here," He said. "This is one of our strongest defenses. The trees are tall and branches wide, easy to shoot from."

"He's going to need water and food," She glanced at a bag of bread nearby.

"I've already taken care of that."

"And who is going to watch the border if they don't fall for our trap?"

"I've sent my brother back for reinforcements," Haldir sighed. "I thought you did not want to waste time mortal. Are you ready or would you like to ask more questions?"

"Let's go," She snapped and headed for the ladder.

A chuckle made her freeze in place. "Are you laughing at me?" No one laughed at her. Especially not an arrogant, proud, unreasonable pointy eared elf. She couldn't believe his mockery at a time like this.

"Yes."

She was going to kill him. Lauren gritted her teeth, "Why?"

"Because we will not be using the ladder."

"How else- Oh shit." Lauren gaped at two elves leapt off the flet and vanished into the forest below. Rushing to the edge, she felt her stomach drop as she realized how high the wooden platform was. She looked down, but instead of falling to their deaths the elves were jumping from branch to branch like monkeys. They moved easily and quickly, confident in their ability to jump.

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Ready mortal?"

She took a deep breath and slipped the rifle strap over her shoulder. "I've never done this before and since you're such an expert, mind carrying this for me? Don't drop it or else you'll be falling after it."

Haldir hesitated at first, but then reached out and took the rifle from her. He blinked, "This is heavy."

She laughed, "Give it back then if you can't do it."

He scoffed and put the rifle on as he had seen her carry it. "I am just surprised that you have carried this for days without complaint."

"They trained me for worse weights," Lauren shrugged and then poked him in the chest. "Don't lose it. Got it?"

Haldir knocked her arm away as if he swatting a fly. "Do not question my ability to-"

Lauren didn't hear the rest of his retort as she let out a whoop and jumped off the platform, aiming for a branch several feet below them. The Marchwarden stared after her for just a moment, captivated at her lack of fear. He hated to admit it, but the mortal was almost charming. With a small smile, Haldir jumped after her.

* * *

Her knees ached. Crouched, she panted and tried to ignore the pain. They'd been jumping through the trees for what felt like hours and she didn't know how much more she could take. The elves made it look so easy. Maybe they had different bodies than humans. Maybe their joints didn't jolt from every impact of landing, she thought enviously.

"Tiring mortal?" Haldir landed next to her silently, the branch didn't even tremble.

Lauren glared at him, "Yes. Unlike you, I'm not too proud to admit it."

The elf adjusted the rifle on his back. "It is not much farther."

"Good," She stood up, already feeling raw soreness throughout her body. "And I don't know if elves have an attention span problem, but my name is not mortal. It's Lauren Harris."

"Keep moving," He moved onto the next branch. "Mortal."

Her body would be devastated tomorrow, Lauren realized, but nothing would stop her from saving Greer. Reminding herself of the man waiting for them, Lauren forced herself to continue. To her immense gratitude, Haldir hadn't been lying about the distance remaining. After another ten minutes, they came upon a flet with a low glow of light coming from it. With one last jump, Lauren landed onto hard wood, groaning as her knees screamed in protest.

"LT?"

The voice made her head snap up. She forgot the pain immediately. For the first time in several days, Lauren felt sheer happiness. She threw herself into the arms of Airman Greer, who was just as ecstatic to see her. The man was younger than her, a fresh eighteen years old. As an African American child from the wrong side of the tracks, he'd join the Air Force straight out of high school in search of adventure that a tiny town in Mississippi could not offer. Being sent to another world certainly qualified as an adventure.

"LT," Greer drew back. "What the hell is going on?"

She finally took a moment to take in their surroundings. Several elves stood on the platform with them, but the majority had remained outside, probably to stand watch. Next to Greer was a half-eaten piece of bread and a flask of what she assumed was water. He wore his air force fatigues, which were covered in dirt and signs of wear. He didn't seem injured, but his face looked tired and frightened.

"Why do they have pointy ears?" Greer whispered.

Before Lauren could answer, the Marchwarden snorted. "Wonderful, another mortal with endless questions."

She patted Greer on the shoulder, "Okay here's the short version. Don't go into shock, we don't need that right now. We're in Middle Earth which is like the medieval era with dragons, monsters, and elves. These are the elves and they're here to help us. Crazy I know, but here we are."

"Oh," To his credit, Greer only look startled but then nodded shakily. "Okay."

"Alright," She got to her feet and helped Greer up. "You'll head back to the city. We're staying to kill those orcs that are coming."

"Orcs?"

"The creepy ass monsters you saw," Lauren explained. "Marchwarden, who's guiding him back?"

"Wait, you're staying here LT?" Greer finished off the bread quickly. "If you're staying, I'm staying."

"You need to rest and rehydrate," She told him. "The city will be safe, you can trust-"

"Ma'am, you're the only thing I've got in this world, literally. I'm not leaving your side, especially if you're in danger."

"You'll be risking your life," She said seriously.

"If those monsters have bows and arrows like these guys do," Greer matched her tone. "Then it looks like they could use another rifleman."

"You're tired and dehydrated-"

"Give me a few minutes to keep eating and drinking and I'll be fine," He frowned. "Come on ma'am, you and I both know I've been through worse."

Lauren felt herself smile. Pride filled her and she was grateful to have Greer here. Their loyalty to each other knew no bounds. "Fine. Get ready to climb some more trees though."

Along with three other elves, who stood by quietly, Lauren and Greer remained in the flet. Greer continued to eat slowly and rehydrate himself as Lauren shared with him what she'd experienced in the woods and Lothl_ó_rien. Haldir had left to scout ahead and determine the size of the incoming orc horde. When he returned sometime later, Lauren could have sworn he looked worried.

"Uh oh, that bad?" She stood up warily.

The Marchwarden nodded, "About seventy orcs, but ten trolls. We are no longer engaged in skirmishes, we are in a war."

"War?" Greer shook his head. "I thought you said Lothl_ó_rien was safe."

Haldir's eyes narrowed, "It is safe. This is an unprecedented event. Normally we have the odd orc or even mortal try to enter the forest out of desperation for food and shelter, but never an organized attack like this. Something has changed in the world, there is a darkness that is driving them to grow bold."

"We'll have to scare them off with our bullets then," Lauren announced. "You saw how the last orcs ran when I killed the troll. We'll do it again. Greer and I will take the trolls out first and quickly. Maybe the orcs will run away again and learn their lesson. The noise alone seemed to terrify them."

"Surprisingly mortal," Haldir smirked. "That is not a bad idea."

"Watch your tone blondie," Lauren snapped. "Now where you want us? We need to get set up."

* * *

"This is insane," Greer whispered. They were laying on the edge of a flet, with rifles positioned to shoot downward. They had four elves with them, who crouched besides them.

"We'll find a way home," Lauren reassured him quietly. "Three elves and a wizard are helping."

"What if they can't?"

Lauren didn't answer. She had no response to the very question that haunted her every minute of the day. Instead, she returned to the current situation. "I killed the troll with a clean head shot. I don't know what their bodies are like but go for the head, we know it's vulnerable. After the trolls, hold your fire. We need to preserve bullets. Let the elves take care of the orcs."

"Yes ma'am," Greer relaxed his body and put his eye to his rifle's scope. No one spoke as the minutes passed by. The majority of the elves were scattered amongst the nearby trees, waiting in silence too. Haldir had led a small group of elves to lure the orcs and trolls this way. The area below was clear and flat, illuminated well by a considerable gap in the trees above. When the orcs and trolls walked into it, they would make easy targets for the skilled immortal and mortal shooters in the dark, hidden branches.

The elf next to Lauren touched her shoulder. From what she understood, elves had enhanced hearing and this was the signal to get ready. They were coming. It took several minutes, but finally Lauren heard the distant sounds of armor and stampeding footsteps. Before the monsters arrived, elves ran into the clearing. Haldir led them straight through the clearing and she knew that they would climb trees to join in with the shooting. About thirty seconds later, the first monsters arrived. Greer and Lauren held their fire, waiting until their prey covered most of the ground below them. So far, only six trolls were visible.

Lauren pulled her trigger. Besides her, Greer did the same and the thunderous sounds of rifles filled the air. Orcs' shrieks and troll groans followed, breaking the silence of the forest. Two trolls fell instantaneously and as more gunfire sounded, more trolls fell. The orcs were scattering, losing organization. They were panicking, clearly not expecting their strongest to go down so easily. Before they could flee though, dozens of arrows rained down on them. Lauren's scope moved quickly and efficiently. With the orcs spooked, it was harder to isolate the trolls' heads. Thankfully, trolls were much taller than the orcs and they moved slower. Shooting them proved easier than expected.

When she couldn't see anymore, Lauren withdrew her eye from the scope and looked down to get a full picture. There! Two more trolls had entered the clearing. Just as she fixed her scope on one, it went down with a bloody bang. Greer had always been a faster shooter than her. Not to be outdone, she immediately moved to the next and with one bullet, killed the beast. So far, so good. She hadn't wasted any bullets and from the sounds of it, neither had Greer.

She rapidly searched the ground below, trying to see through the chaos. A good number of orc and troll bodies littered the ground, but too many still ran about. To prevent them from escaping, Haldir had guards surround the enclosure by foot. The monsters were corralled back into the clearing, being shot at from all angles. Some orcs had recovered from their initial fear and dark, crude arrows shot up into the trees. The orcs fired blindly, unable to see their attackers. An arrow shot past Lauren's head, barely missing the elf next to her. The elf had easily leaned to the side, avoiding the attack while Lauren's heart skipped a beat. Suddenly, she was very envious of those Elvin reflexes.

"There!" Greer hissed. He fired and let out a deep breath. "Last one is all yours ma'am."

Yes it was, Lauren thought triumphantly. Her scope had found its target and with a single squeeze, a bullet penetrated the troll skull through the right side. She watched with grim satisfaction as a trickle of dark, oozy blood trickled down past its ear as the body collapsed.

"Nice job," Lauren began to pull back her rifle and wiggle towards the back of the flet. "Time to-"

She gasped as Greer jerked backwards. An arrow flew up, an inch away from his face. She reached out, grabbing the back of his shirt and yanked hard. Together, they fell away from the flet edge and into safe distance from orc arrows. The elves descended from the trees, bringing their deadly blades with them. Now it would be hand to hand combat.

"You okay?" Lauren felt energized from the sudden rush of fear and adrenaline. "It didn't graze you did it?"

When Greer didn't answer, she shook him. He snapped out of his shock, "Holy shit. That was close."

"Our job is over, let's just wait until things cool down." Lauren grimaced as she heard a very human sounding scream. The two mortals looked at one another and silently made a decision. Their promised role in the battle was over, but neither of them could stomach hiding away while the elves fought for their lives. Airmen and marines didn't hide from a fight. Especially not when they had the rifles.

"Try to conserve bullets," Lauren warned.

"Got it," Greer slipped back into place and took control of his rifle again. Lauren let her scope roam the gruesome scene. The elves were clearly winning. The orcs defended themselves, but with their trolls dead and the constant fear of being shot by the rifles, they were vulnerable. Lauren's scope fell on an elf who was firing an arrow at an orc in front of him, unaware of the blade that was coming down behind him. With speed and aim of an experienced sniper, Lauren fired at the same time the elf let his arrow loose. He spun around and watched the orc fall behind him, blade falling with him. The elf looked up so she could see his face. His eyes seemed to burn through the scope and into her skull.

Haldir.

Lauren smirked against her rifle. The arrogant Marchwarden had just had his ass saved by a mortal.

After that, Lauren only used one more bullet before withdrawing from her rifle and standing up. The battle came to a close as the elves finished off the wounded and dying orcs. With their rifles on their backs, Lauren and Greer climbed the ladder down and joined the elves below. Haldir stood before an orc, who was on its knees. Behind the orc stood an elf who pressed a red, glimmering blade to the monster's throat.

Lauren approached confidently, ignoring the butterflies in her stomach. She hadn't been this close to an orc before. It was even uglier than she thought and smelled worse.

"A mortal woman?" The orc croaked, exposing rotten but pointy teeth. It's flesh was disgusting and armor bloody.

Lauren lifted her handgun to the orc's forehead. "Run back to wherever you came from and tell your friends that if any of them cross into these borders again, I'll kill them as easily as I killed your trolls. Got it?"

"W-What magic is this?" The orc spit at her. "Are you a witch?"

"No," Lauren smiled and without warning, dropped her gun and fired. The bullet went through the orc's foot and it howled in pain. "I'm a marine."

The elf withdrew his blade. Freed, the orc fled as quickly as it could while limping. Everyone stood silently and watched as the monster vanished into the forestry. Lauren and Greer waited until Haldir nodded, signaling that the orc was truly gone. Left alone, the elves began to retrieve arrows and search the bodies. The elves didn't let out a cry of victory though. All paused in their work as two elves lifted a fallen comrade. Lauren and Greer watched from the flet as the elves all bowed their heads respectively. The dead elf was carried away and Lauren felt her throat tighten.

"So they're not completely immortal," Greer murmured sadly. "I didn't see him in time. By the time I shot the orc, he was already dead. I'm sorry LT."

"It's not your fault," Lauren patted his shoulder but withdrew her hand when Greer hissed in pain. "What's wrong?"

They both looked down at his right arm. The sleeve had been cut and blood stained the edges of the torn material. Gingerly, Lauren pulled back the material to take a better look. The skin had been cut, but not deeply.

She let out a whistle, "Another close call. Looks like the arrow just grazed you. What's this black stuff though?"

As she pulled her hands free, her fingers were covered in the dark liquid. It was too thick and dark to be Greer's blood. She lifted her fingers to her nose and sniffed, then coughed at the stench. "That's nasty."

"Hey LT," Greer swayed on his feet. "I don't feel so good…"

"Whoa!" Lauren jumped forward and caught the airman just as his knees buckled. Beads of sweat covered his temple and she pressed a hand to his forehead. The heat from his skin was alarmingly strong. "Haldir! Help!"

Within moments, Haldir was at their side. A few elves followed him. "What is wrong with him?"

"He got grazed by an arrow and-"

Before she could even finish, Haldir was already inspecting the wound. His expression hardened as he explained, "Poison. We must get him back to the city immediately. Most mortals do not survive orc poison."

"Do they have medicine in the city?" Lauren asked, hearing the desperation in her voice. She couldn't lose Greer! Not when she had just found him!

"Elves are skilled healers," Haldir assured her. "Lady Galadriel will be able to save him."

To her surprise, Haldir slipped his arm under Greer's torso and lifted the man onto his back. With Greer secured in his grip, Haldir began to trot. "Try to keep up Lauren."

When she didn't respond, the Marchwarden turned to look at her. Lauren was staring at him, face contorted in worry and pain.

"Thank you." She said quietly. They stared at one, both understanding the sincerity behind her words, until Haldir caught himself. With a stiff nod, he turned and began the journey to the city.


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings and I write this story as an avid fan with no profit or gain._

* * *

**Chapter 6**

"Sophia?"

For the eighth time, Greer called out the name of a woman who was a world away. His arm reached out weakly, fingers brushing against Lauren's face. "Sophia?"

His hand fell back onto the bed and Greer moaned, leaning his head away. No matter how many times Lauren or the healers wiped his forehead, Greer continued to sweat heavily. The skin around the poisoned wound had taken a deep purple tone and spread rapidly. It had been three days since the battle and the wounded mortal had made little progress in fighting the poison.

"Why?" Lauren looked up at Galadriel who sat next to her. "Why won't your medicine work?"

"Our healing incorporates our Elvin magic or grace as we call it," The lady responded, her voice grim. "Just as your body rejects my magic in reaching your mind, his body will not accept our healing."

It had been awful. Haldir ran so quickly with Greer that she'd easily fallen behind. By the time Lauren reached the healing quarters of the city, Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn were already sitting next to Airman Greer. Even though the Elvin Lord and Lady personally apologized and explained what was wrong, she wouldn't believe it. At Lauren's demands, the healers tried again and again to use their chants and herbs to heal Greer. Still, her friend did not respond and the poison continued to plague his body. He grew weaker and delusional, speaking nonsense most of the time. However, he did have snippets of sanity. She clung to those minutes and afraid to miss them, slept and ate by his side. To her surprise, she wasn't alone in her endeavor to stay close. Galadriel and Celeborn often stayed too, but most surprising was Haldir. The Marchwarden never spoke, but he took a seat in the corner of the room and watched. Lauren didn't mind. She didn't care about anything for these past few days. In fact, she hadn't bathed since before the battle and her hair felt gross even in a bun.

A hand touched her shoulder and Lauren looked up.

"Your clothes are ready," Haldir told her quietly. "They are in your flet."

Clothes? Oh right, the ones tailored for her. "Oh. Oh yes, thank you."

"Go," The gentle voice of Galadriel urged. "Go change and rest."

"But-"

"I will stay with him Lauren," The elleth assured her with her radiant smile. Even though Galadriel's magic didn't work on her, Lauren could have sworn that the smile sent warmth into her very bones.

Lauren almost said no again, but nearly cringed at her lack of bathing. She'd gone longer without bathing plenty of times when her deployment and training required it, but the emotional agony of watching Greer die in front of her had gone on long enough. As much as she hated to admit it, she needed a break. "T-Thanks. I'll be quick."

Rising from the chair, Lauren followed Haldir. Her legs still ached from running and jumping in the trees, but the bruises had healed decently. It was her joints that still felt the pain from the impact of landing.

"What's happening at the border?" She found herself asking. Days ago, she would have ignored him and not bothered with starting conversation. But ever since the battle, Haldir had felt different to her. His demeanor was no less serious, but he seemed almost… friendly. Well, friendly was a strong word but at least he didn't insult her at every chance.

"Quiet," He answered with a sincere smile. "Not a single orc has been sighted in the forest, even at the very edge. For now, Lothlórien is safe."

"Well, that's good at least."

They walked in a direction she didn't recognize. "Where are we going?"

"To your new home. You were in a guest flet which is isolated from the rest of the city," Haldir pointed ahead of them. "This is where most of the city lives. The Lady Galadriel wanted you to be welcomed into the city properly, which means not being hidden away from our people."

"Did you pay for it?" She questioned. Her tone was tired, lacking its usual aggression and confidence.

"Yes."

Lauren sighed, "Fine."

That made Haldir pause in his step, but only for just a moment. He recovered from his surprise and looked at the woman curiously. "Fine? Just fine?"

"As long as you keep track of how much you're spending," Lauren pointed her finger at him, accusatory. "I'm serious. If I'm stuck here then I'm eventually going to get a job, I can't stand doing nothing for very long. If I do work, I'll make money and can start paying you back until I get home."

Haldir was shocked. Before he could censor his words, he spoke, "You cannot be mortal."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He cleared his throat, uncomfortable at being caught with his honest thoughts. "The race of men is renowned for their love of power and greed. It is what caused them to fall so easily to the rings of power. It is… unexpected to meet a mortal who is so against my debt to her."

"We're not all bad," She murmured. "Sure some people are greedy but some of us live for higher purposes."

"You speak of your fellow guards," Haldir said quietly. "You are very loyal to that man."

"I've only known him for a few months, but Greer's a great kid. He worked hard to get to where he was and I'm so scared-" She broke off. Lauren didn't want to talk about her feelings, especially not with the Marchwarden.

"Months? I assumed…"

"What?"

"I assumed you were lovers," Haldir admitted.

"Why?" Lauren scoffed. "Didn't you hear him calling for his girlfriend, Sophia?"

"Girlfriend?" The Marchwarden frowned. "You haven't left his side. Your devotion is admirable and no one can mistake how much you care for him."

"You know, someone you're dating." Lauren tried a word she'd only heard in movies, "Courtship?"

"Ah."

"We worked together every day. I'm sure you can relate but when you work with people in a job that risks your life and safety, you bond. The trust is…"

"Unlike anything else." Haldir finished for her.

"Exactly," She breathed. It was strange to agree on something with the elf, but nice. The more time she spent with him, the easier it became to read his emotions. They walked in comfortable silence until he stopped in front of a door. The flet looked the same of the dozens they'd past except for two flower pots that sat by the door. Haldir withdrew a key from his pocket and fluidly unlocked and opened the door. Respectfully, he stood aside and allowed her to enter first. Despite his rough edges and harsh words, Haldir did retain some chivalry.

"Is it acceptable?" He asked, a hint of worry in his voice.

The flet was larger than the one she stayed in before due to the addition of a kitchen. It looked like a scene out of a movie for Lauren, who had zero experience with historical homes or medieval things. She'd never been a great cook, but the idea of making meals on an iron oven fueled by wood made her want to laugh in disbelief. The furnishings were beautiful but not ornate. The wooden furniture was obviously handmade by an experienced craftsman. The rich colors of rugs and flowers offset the wooden walls and furniture so well that she forgot she was standing in a tree.

"It's wonderful," She smiled. "Thank you."

Haldir didn't say anything as Lauren walked around, touching the dining table and chairs softly. Eventually he indicated towards a door, "Your room and clothes are in there. Do you know the way to the bath springs?"

Lauren's blank look made the elf sigh deeply. "Get your things and I will take you there."

The bedroom was comfortable and welcoming. Lauren didn't linger though as she hastily grabbed one of the tunics that sat folded on the bed. Unsure of what else to take, she opened the wardrobe and found what she thought were medieval undergarments and a pair of leather, light boots.

The walk to the baths was quick and Lauren made note on what paths to take. They came to a fork in the dirt path and Haldir explained, "The pools are separated for privacy. Elves go to the left and elleths to the right." He made a noise of amusement, "Or in this case mortal women."

Turning, he began to walk away when Lauren called out after him.

"You haven't said it since the fight, you know."

The Marchwarden didn't bother to turn. "Said what?"

"My name," She whispered. "You actually called me by my name. Not mortal."

Haldir's body immediately went rigid and Lauren regretted her words, but didn't have a chance to say anything because the elf marched away. Well, at least she could get under his skin too. With clothes in hand, Lauren took the path to the right.

* * *

"How's he doing?" Lauren sat down in her chair besides Greer's bed. Her skin and hair were still damp and the tunic felt strange, but Lauren felt infinitely better. The warm water had helped her joint pain ease slightly. Irritated by the trickles of water down her back from her soaked hair, Lauren put it up in a messy bun.

"I am afraid nothing has changed."

"Well that's better than getting worse," Lauren said morosely. "Thank you for staying with him ma'am."

"Ma'am." The elleth laughed slightly. "You are a refreshing breath of air Lauren Harris. It is nice to hear something different from my lady. Take care, child. Do not lose hope."

With that, the regal lady stood and took her leave. For the first time, Lauren found herself alone with Greer. She reached out and lowered a towel into the bowl of water on the bedside table. Gently, she dabbed at Greer's forehead and felt worry gnaw at her again. The bath had been rejuvenating, but seeing Greer this sick erased any energy she'd regained. Returning the towel to the bowl, Lauren stood her watch loyally. Hours passed and Lauren spoke to Greer. She told him about her family, her friends, the first time she'd ever been drunk. Anything that came to mind, Lauren shared. It was said that people in comas could hear what you told them, so maybe an ill Greer could hear her. Eventually the sun fell and the moon took over the skies. Lauren leaned forward, resting her head on the bed and fell asleep.

Something slapped against her head and Lauren jolted awake. Her neck and back protested, sore from the awkward sleeping position but everything seemed to fade away as she stared in horror as Greer convulsed violently. His breathing was wheezy, but worse his eyes were staring right at her. His hand had hit her. Poor Greer was awake and aware, feeling every bit of the pain and fright.

"HELP!" She screamed. "SOMEONE HELP!"

Instinct took over and Lauren rolled Greer onto his side. She held him, not letting him fall over the bed. She wasn't even close to having a nurse's medical knowledge, but after her college years Lauren knew that whenever someone had a seizure they shouldn't lay on their back. Laying on their side reduced the risk of choking on their own spit or vomit.

Sure enough, Greer heaved and vomit spewed from his mouth safely onto the floor besides the bed. Two elves burst into the room, both healers and helped Lauren hold Greer in position. As he finished emptying his stomach, the spasms stopped and his body went relaxed again. Neither of elves spoke English, but they gestured for Lauren to sit down. Reluctantly, she did and watched as they fretted over Greer. Disliking her lack of help, Lauren poured the bowl of water out onto the floor and wiped away the throw up with the towel. She held the bowl and looked at the elves for instruction. One motioned her to follow him and they went to another room where she washed her hands and he took the bowl away. When she returned to Greer, the other healer had gone. Greer lay awake and waved weakly to her.

"Hey LT."

Lauren smiled, glad to see him lucid again. "How you feeling?"

"Throat burns and I feel like shit," Greer tried to laugh, but it sounded more like wheezing. "But other than that, not bad. These clothes are mighty comfy. Never thought I'd like a dress."

The elves had taken Greer out of his uniform and replaced it with a soft, thin shift. Lauren sat down. "Do you want anything? Water? Food?"

"Nah, I'd throw it up right now. How long have I been out for ma'am?"

"Three days," She made sure to keep her tone light. "The elves tried using their healing, but apparently we're immune to that too."

"I don't remember too much," The young man groaned. "I keep fading in and out. Sometimes I think I'm back home and then other times I hear your voice."

"You called out for Sophia," She told him. This made Greer shut his eyes and Lauren felt her heart tighten. For a young man, barely out of his boyhood, Greer looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. His breathing was heavy and skin still discolored. After several moments, Greer reopened his eyes and stared at her intently.

"Ma'am you have to promise me something."

"Anything." She meant it.

"When you find a way home, tell my family that I love them. Tell Sophia that I'm sorry we fought before I left and that she was right. I was too stupid to admit it."

"Greer-" Lauren tried to cut in, not liking where the conversation was heading. It terrified her.

"Please. We both know I'm not recovering Lauren."

The use of her first name struck a chord. Even though Blue Lite was as relaxed as a military team could have been, enlisted and officers hardly called each other by first name. To hear him say her name, not as a fellow military member, but as her friend made her realize how serious he was. "But you're not getting worse," She whispered.

"I can feel it. It's scary as hell but at least I went down fighting. That's what I want my family to know, that I died killing monsters and protecting people. At least I did something worthwhile in this crazy place."

"You're not going to die, I won't let you."

"Never give up LT. Promise me you won't give up on getting home."

She wanted to keep arguing with him, but it was obvious how much energy it took for him to speak. Instead, she nodded her head. "I promise."

Greer reached out slowly and patted her arm. "Thanks."

He rested his hand back on his chest and closed his eyes. Within seconds, his breathing took on a steady and slow pattern and he was asleep. Lauren felt her eyes sting and cried, as quietly as she could, until she too succumbed to slumber.

* * *

"Lauren," The voice was gentle and soothing. "Lauren Harris."

For a second, just a split second, Lauren thought the voice belonged to her brother. As she shook off the dreams though, she came to her senses and fully woke, alarmed at the interruption. Her brother wasn't here, he wasn't even in the same world as her. The first thing she saw was Haldir, who knelt next to her. His face close to hers, eyes dark and warning.

"What's wrong?" She immediately asked, sensing something amiss. She'd never seen Haldir look like this before. He almost seemed to be sad and disturbed. What could be bothering the stoic Marchwarden so deeply?

He didn't have to say anything. Lauren knew as soon as she looked past the elf. Greer lay on the bed, eyes closed and body still. Too still for someone sleeping.

"N-No," Lauren's stomach sank. Her heart squeezed until she let out a horrified scream. "N-No!"

Her body fell clumsily out of the chair. She wanted to hold Greer, shake him awake and yell at him for playing such a low trick. Her limbs wouldn't listen to her brain though, because her brain didn't know what to do. Instead of hitting the floor, Haldir's arms caught her. Suddenly, she was hitting him. Punches hit the elf squarely in the chest and arms, but he didn't stop her. She couldn't even stop herself. "NO! He can't be gone! He can't-"

"Lauren," Haldir's voice was soft and sympathetic. For a woman who'd been thrown into another world, she had never lost control of her emotions. He knew mortals were weak and when he'd goaded her, he felt respect when held steadfast and even challenged him. But as the woman began to sob, face turning red and eyes puffy, he felt no judgment. Her face turned ugly and messy as she held nothing back, exposing the raw emotions. Elves did not experience death in the same way as men did. Their grief was deep and true, but heard through songs and music of grief. It was rare to see such a display of emotion. Compelled to say something, he said, "It was a peaceful passing."

This only seemed to make her cry harder and Haldir sat awkwardly, holding the woman who fell apart before him.

"I can't," She hiccupped, "do this alone."

The Marchwarden shook his head, "You are not alone Lauren Harris. I am here."


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings and I write this story as an avid fan with no profit or gain._

**Chapter 7**

Elves mourn differently than mortals. They do not experience death as often, but they feel the pain just as deeply as men do. Some would argue even more deeply. However, anyone attending the funeral would have no doubt on who grieved this loss of life the hardest. Lauren sat on the ground, arms wrapped around her legs as she stared at the makeshift wooden cross she'd made out of branches. The elves had given her full control of the proceedings, wanting to respect her world's way of respecting death. The guards had helped her dig the grave and sang softly as she slowly, but surely buried her friend. When her hands blistered, Lauren gritted her teeth and continued. No one, not even Haldir, dared to take the shovel away from her. Once she'd finish, the tears fell down her face and Lauren sat down, unable to leave her friend alone. One by one, the elves took their leave.

Lauren did not know how long she sat there, eyes blank and mind lost in memories. In her hands, clasped with such desperation, were Greer's dog tags. Days could have passed, but when the hand touched her shoulder, her body returned to the present.

"I am sorry to disturb you, but it is almost dawn," The masculine voice said. "You need to rest."

"I can't leave him alone."

"He is not alone. He is part of the forest now." Haldir cleared his throat when the woman said nothing. He was a warrior and the leader of the hardened elves of Lothlórien's guard. While he could cut down dozens of orcs, his skills in comforting a woman were severely lacking. It was strange to hear the fiery mortal so quiet and timid. Wanting to draw her out of her misery, he asked, "What is that?"

"Hmm?"

"That wooden symbol."

"It's a cross," Lauren murmured. "A symbol of Greer's religion."

"It was very kind of you to make it. He was a good man and I would have been proud to have him in my guard-"

Without warning, Lauren's body went rigid. She gasped and stood up hastily. "T-That's it! You have to train me!"

The Marchwarden withdrew his hand and frowned, "Pardon me?"

Lauren stood up and stared at the elf with hard, determined eyes. "I want you to train me to be a border guard."

For the first time, a mortal had left Haldir speechless. Sensing this, Lauren jumped on the opportunity. "I am not going to sit in the library every day while the monsters that killed my friend are still out there. Let me be a guard. Let me avenge his death! Let me-"

"No."

"Excuse me?" She hissed.

"The forest is a dangerous place and no place for a wo-"

"A woman?" Her voice rose to a screech, "Were you about to say a woman? Are you shitting me? Just in case you forgot elf, it was this woman who saved your sorry ass from being cut in half. Don't tell me where I belong. You don't know me."

"I do not-"

"You're in debt to me right? Well, your debt will be paid if you teach me to be a guard."

Haldir gave her a long, calculating look. The anger resonating off the mortal was enough to intrigue him. In all his years, he'd never met a woman with so much energy and grit. "Why do you need to be taught? Your weapons are powerful enough to protect you."

She smiled humorlessly. "I'm going to tell you a little secret. Bullets are the same as arrows. They're great for killing things until you run out of them."

This made the elf's eyebrow raise, "Can you make more?"

"No," She shook her head. "Not in this world. I have Greer's bullets so that helps but soon, I'll need a new weapon."

"I will teach you how to use a bow and even sword if you like, but there is no reason for you to be a guard."

Lauren sighed, "You should understand how I feel Haldir. I am a Marine and always will be. Just as you are Marchwarden, through and through. What could tear you away from your duty?"

The elf had no response and looked at her with what she used to see as a blank, empty expression. Now though, Lauren noticed the slight admiration. "I am a guard, whether it's in my world or your world. Don't take away my purpose. For however long I'm stuck here, let me do my job."

This seemed to finally convince the elf. "I will not object as long my Lord and Lady agree to it."

"Thank you. When do we start?"

"After you've eaten and rested."

Lauren followed Haldir away from the grave. In her fist she held onto the dog tags tightly, filled with energy for her new purpose. As long as she remained in Middle Earth, she would slaughter every orc and troll that she could find. The Marchwarden led her home and left without a word. After eating some bread and milk, Lauren forced herself to enter her bedroom. At the bottom of her bed sat a wooden chest, still open from when she'd peeked inside earlier. From the doorway, she could see Greer's uniform folded neatly inside.

Taking a deep breath, she moved forward and sat down next to it. Gingerly, she withdrew the man's belongings. His uniform had been washed and dried, but the rip in the shoulder made her want to vomit. Putting the shirt and pants back into the chest, she looked at the assortment of items still out. One by one, she put them away too. Greer's ID card, car keys, a pen, and wallet had been found in his pockets. His utility belt with the pepper spray, clips of ammo, flashlight, and radio were placed into the chest. Inside his wallet Lauren found the usual things like credit cards and cash, but it was the picture of a young woman that made her tears return. The photo of Sophia was real. A reminder that a whole world of people like her existed somewhere out there. Unable to put the smiling woman back into the dark chest, Lauren stood and placed the small photograph on her vanity. It would serve as a reminder to keep training hard. She'd get her revenge not only for Greer, but for those who loved him.

Lauren could only sleep for a few hours. Between her grief, anxiety to begin training, and the bright sunlight that streamed through her bedroom window, she was soon up and alert. Eating an apple as a quick breakfast, she donned a tunic and boots. With swift, practiced hands she put her hair up into a tight bun. Unsure of what else to bring, Lauren settled for a flask of water and left her flet behind.

The morning air was cool and refreshing. Lauren found the dining hall close to empty when she arrived, having missed the earlier rush for breakfast. Only several elves remained and Lauren approached them cautiously. Haldir and Rúmil sat together, but not alone. With them were three elleths, who sat at flirtatious angles and with charming smiles on their faces. They were all so beautiful. They looked perfect, too perfect for Lauren's comfort.

The elleth with her back to Lauren laughed loudly and leaned forward, resting her hand on Haldir's arm. The Marchwarden smiled softly, but did not move to return the affection. His brother however, had no problem joining in the laughter and playfully winking at the elleth.

"Sorry to interrupt," Lauren lied. "But are you ready to begin Haldir?"

If she didn't know better, Lauren could have sworn that the Marchwarden looked relieved at her arrival. The elves turned to look at her and Lauren stood a little straighter, feeling the analyzing eyes of three elleths on her.

"Mae g'ovannen Lauren," Rúmil said grinning. Lauren returned the saying with a nod, glad to see the elf again. It was nice to be able to say something to him in his own language. Lauren greeted the elleths as well. Two smiled back kindly, but the third frowned slightly as they said hello respectfully. The elleth was slender like all elves, but had some curve to her figure. Her hair seemed to curl naturally at the ends which was unique as most elves had straight, flat hair. However, it was her face that made Lauren realize that this elleth must be considered particularly beautiful. Surrounded by glowing, healthy skin were two golden eyes. They were stunning.

Just as Lauren was mentally complimenting the elleth, she said something that Lauren could not understand. From the way Rúmil responded sharply, Lauren didn't think it was anything nice. The other elleths giggled, but stopped when Haldir stood up suddenly, knocking the table with his legs. He said something in a tone that Lauren was all too familiar with. It was the tone of condescending and mocking. For a moment, she thought his words were directed towards her because the frowning elleth turned to glare at her. However, the way that Haldir left the table abruptly and the awkward looks on the other two elleths' faces, Lauren realized the Marchwarden had… defended her?

Not bothering to say anything to her, Haldir strode towards the doors and Lauren followed him out. When they cleared the dining hall, Lauren pushed herself in front of the elf. "What the hell was that about?"

Haldir gave nothing away as he said, "What are you complaining about now?"

"Oh spare me your superior attitude," She crossed her arms. "What did she say?"

"It does not matter."

"Oh yeah? Well whatever it was, it made you and Rúmil angry. Let's not play this back and forth game, what did she say?"

"It was not important," He snapped. "Do you want to begin your training or not?"

"Yes."

"Then focus on the task at hand, not at an elleth's meaningless words."

"Fine." Lauren relented and they continued walking until they reached the training grounds. It was a large, flat area of land. Running along one side was the garrison, holding the guard's equipment and weapons. Several other guards and elves already practiced on the field. Some used swords, but most shot arrows at targets staggered at various distances. Several shot them curious glances, but for the most part the elves ignored their presence. While Haldir entered the garrison, Lauren watched a young elf who looked a human age of ten shoot an arrow. To her surprise, it landed an inch to the right of the dead center. No wonder the guards were fine shots- they began during their childhood. But for all she knew, that ten year old was actually closer to ninety. So much time to perfect skills, Lauren thought jealously. But was she truly jealous? To live forever was the pinnacle of Indiana Jones movies and adventure tales. People yearned for eternal life but Lauren couldn't help but doubt immortality. Before she could continue on her heavy thoughts, Haldir returned carrying a bow but no quiver full of arrows. He didn't lead her towards the targets, but instead to an area away from the other elves.

"This is how you hold a bow," Haldir demonstrated. "Keep your fingers here, tight but do not restrict your ability to adjust your hold. You will learn that to shoot from various angles, you will need to move your hand slightly. Understand?"

Lauren nodded and took the bow when he offered it. She did her best to mimic his hold, but Haldir reached out to fix her errors. When he was satisfied, he stepped back and said, "Now draw the string back."

As this was the first time holding a bow, Lauren had no idea how difficult it was to pull back on a bow. The resistance from the string surprised her, but it was not high enough to prevent her from pulling it back successfully. Once in place, she looked to Haldir for instruction. He simply nodded in approval and waited. After several moments, Lauren began to lower her rams but Haldir said, "No. Continue to hold it."

After a while, Lauren began to understand the point of the exercise. Her arm muscles began to burn and later, begged to release the tension in the bow. Lauren's eyes narrowed and she forced her arms to stay put. Her arm holding the string back began to shake slightly.

"Release."

Instantly, her arms let the string fall back into its normal taunt position. Her right arm burned, but in the familiar muscle pain that Lauren loved.

"Good," The Marchwarden crossed his arms, "Again."

So continued her first day of training. They alternated between her holding the bow in position and drawing the string back. Once her fingers seemed to consistently hold the bow correctly, Haldir had her practice shifting their position as she continued to hold the string back. It was hard work and by the end, her arm was remarkably sore and heavy.

"That is enough for today," Haldir finally announced. "It is time for lunch and Tiriel has asked that you return to your studies after you eat."

"Alright," Lauren said as she stretched out her arms, testing their soreness. "Same time tomorrow?"

"Yes but let us meet here directly," The elf carried the bow away towards the garrison. Dismissed, Lauren returned to the dining hall and was pleased to find Tiriel already eating. Taking a bowl from a serving boy, Lauren sat down beside her friend.

"You are feeling better today," Tiriel mused.

"Just finished my first day of training," Lauren answered. "My arm is going to be dead tomorrow, but I'll grow the muscles for it soon enough. What are we doing today?"

"Today we are going to learn how to ask for things and how to give directions," The elleth responded. "I think at the rate we are going, we will be able to stop using the common tongue in about a month."

"What?" This surprised Lauren. "You expect me to be fluent in a month?"

"No! Of course not!" Tiriel smiled kindly. "But I think you will have enough foundation to begin to make the switch. The best way to learn is total immersion, forced to speak only in Elvish."

Without any effort in manners, Lauren gobbled her salad and soup. She was eager to get to the library and continue to study. The morning with Haldir and the bow had filled her with energy. The motivation from successfully holding a bow for long periods of time made her want to continue her luck in language. When they finished their meal, the elleth and woman went to the library for the remainder of the day until evening meal.

As the days continued, Lauren's impatience with sitting for hours in the library lessened. Finally, she found a fulfilling routine in her life in Lothlórien. In the early mornings, she went for a run before most of the city awoke. It took a week for the blisters on her toes and ankle to callous over, but she finally broke in her new boots. Her runs served the dual purpose of exercise and better acquainting herself with the city's layout. The endless staircases proved useful in challenging her legs and the trees offered practice in climbing and jumping. After her run, Lauren ate breakfast alone in her flet before going down to the training field to meet with Haldir. He remained stern during their lessons, but Lauren began to see a side of the elf she suspected existed all along. Despite his best attempts to remain sober, Haldir proved to be quite the humorous instructor. His sarcasm and wit provided the right amount of entertainment between instructions, mainly because she spat back an equally sarcastic or sharp remark. While Lauren grew to respect Haldir, she wouldn't go as far as to call them friends. They spent every morning together, but a wall remained the two of them, a sort of tension. Lauren didn't think of it much though, it didn't matter. She progressed from simply holding a bow to aiming to shooting arrows. Her progress was slower in learning the Elvin language though. While her writing and memorization proved adequate, speaking gave Lauren more trouble than expected. Still, Tiriel insisted she was doing well and should not worry. True to Tiriel's estimation, they left the common language behind after a month. The first two weeks were absolutely brutal, but gradually Lauren began to string words together and make full sentences with something that resembled grammar.

Sometimes her language lessons were interrupted with sessions with Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel, who updated her on their search for answers. They had sought out council from various, powerful people but learned nothing substantial. Those who responded had no answers, but promised to help in the search. King Thranduil had written that he knew nothing but offered for Lauren to travel to Mirkwood to search their library and records. However, afraid to discontinue her training and leave the only place she felt comfortable, Lauren declined. Besides, from what Tiriel said the library in Lothlórien dwarfed that of Mirkwood. If they'd found nothing in the books and scrolls here, they wouldn't find anything in Mirkwood.

"Wait, take your time," Haldir murmured. He stood inches away, in his usual spot where he could reach out and help her aim. Today though, he did not move to touch the bow. Instead, the teacher watched as his student aimed without help.

Lauren felt excited. Aiming the arrow reminded her of the first time she aimed a rifle. It was all too familiar- She breathed evenly, felt the wind's direction, focused on the target… Then her fingers released the arrow. It flew through the air and landed with a resounding thud in the second most outer ring of the target. After dozens of failed attempts and a good number of embarrassing arrows falling straight from the bow onto the ground, getting the arrow anywhere near the target counted as a victory.

"Good, very good."

Smiling, Lauren picked up the next arrow and aimed again. She hit the target three more times, but missed twice. Overall, not bad for someone who had never used a bow five months ago. Following their routine, Lauren picked carried the bow while Haldir carried the quiver and arrows back to the garrison.

"Until tomorrow," Lauren said as usual. She began to walk away when Haldir cleared his throat.

"Actually, Rúmil will be-" He continued, but Lauren couldn't understand. Tiriel had asked Haldir to stop using the common tongue with her too and she still struggled to understand everything he said. It helped though, as much as it frustrated her, to have Haldir also forcing her to practice the language.

Knowing her well enough now to know that he's lost her, Haldir began to translate and teach. He repeated the phrase in Elvish twice and slowly so she could remember, then told her in common tongue. "I am returning to the border. Rúmil will teach you while I am away."

"Oh," Lauren blinked in surprise. "Okay."

An awkward silence fell over the two as neither walked away. Haldir tilted his head slightly, "What is wrong?"

"Nothing," She answered quickly. Lauren should have said goodbye then, but she couldn't stop herself from asking, "When will you return?"

"Six weeks."

She felt disappointed. Lauren didn't know why, but she felt undeniably strange about the thought of Haldir being absent for that long. Well, at least it would give her a chance to know Rúmil better and continue her training. Unsure of what to do, Lauren held out her hand and said, "Good luck."

Haldir looked from her hand back up to her face. Just as she felt embarrassed and began to lower her arm, Haldir raised his and took her hand into his. They shook hands and Haldir nodded solemnly. Then, he let go and walked away without his usual farewell.


	8. Chapter 8

_Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings and I write this story as an avid fan with no profit or gain._

* * *

**Author's Note: **Hello everyone. I'd like to answer some questions you've sent me. This story begins shortly before Frodo receives the ring and will follow along the movie-version (mostly) of LOTR. This is a romance with both Haldir and Legolas involved, but you will have to read to find out their full roles.

**Chapter 8**

"Oof!"

The tackle brought them both down, causing the audience of elves to cheer excitedly. Lauren threw her legs over Rúmil's chest, pinning him down. His own legs began to push off the ground, attempting to escape from beneath her. Before he could, Lauren grabbed his right arm, pulled it outward, and arched her back. It was a move that all marines were taught within the first weeks of indoctrination. Pulling the arm at such an angle could break it if the opponent didn't tap out in time.

"Yield," Rúmil let out a moan. The elves let out whoops and yells as the match came to an end. Releasing his arm, Lauren panted from exhaustion. The fight was short, but it proved draining to hold down an elf.

They stood up, both breathing heavily. "Impressive," Rúmil said laughing. "I have never seen that move before."

Lauren grinned. While elves absolutely destroyed her in archery and sword fighting, it felt good to beat them at something. "Thanks. That's called…" She had no idea what the Elvin words were for it, so she said in common language, "arm bar."

"Arm bar," Rúmil repeated, testing out the strange words. Lessons with the elf had become educational for the two of them. Haldir had taught her the foundation for the bow so Rúmil focused on the sword. The language barrier made things difficult at the beginning of their time together, but they made do. Rúmil's hand gestures made her laugh and it felt good to smile again. To take a break from sword play, Lauren offered to teach Rúmil wrestling and ground fighting. The guards were excellent warriors, but they relied on their bow and blades too much for Lauren's opinion. While Rúmil had brute strength and could probably win a bar fight, he had almost no training in proper hand-to-hand fighting. Teaching him how to wrestle helped Lauren in multiple ways too. It forced her to find the vocabulary and proper grammar in the Elvin language and also made her feel like she was contributing something. Best of all, she gained a new friend. Unlike his eldest brother, Rúmil was extremely relaxed and seemed to genuinely enjoy her company. Soon, he joined Tiriel and her for daily lunch after lessons. Sitting there with two friends, speaking the native language, almost made Lauren feel like she'd found a home.

Almost.

Every morning when Lauren sat at her vanity brushing and putting her hair in a bun, the small photograph of Sophia served its purpose. This was not her home. No matter how much she liked her new friends or the beautiful city, she needed to return. Greer's family deserved to know what happened to him. Her family deserved to know that she was alive.

Resting her hands on her head, Lauren tried to bring down her breathing rate. The crowd around them dispersed as elves returned to their own training. Another perk of wrestling with Rúmil was befriending the other guards and elves. She couldn't keep track of all their names, but being able to walk around the city and wave to familiar faces was encouraging.

During the walk back to the dining hall, Lauren wiped the sweat off her brow with her sleeve. The more she learned about elves, the more she felt isolated about her mortality. Rarely did elves sweat and even more annoying, their hair always seemed to be perfect. The neck lock that Rúmil nearly won with the match with had nearly pulled her bun loose. Now random strands of hair spilled from her head and Lauren blew one out of her face. Rúmil's blonde braids looked untouched.

Several elves carrying an assortment of flowers and barrels of wine passed by, laughing and giggling in happiness.

"What is happening?" Lauren asked, watching the group curiously.

"It is the…" Rúmil said something that she couldn't understand. When he saw her puzzled expression, he tried to rephrase it but still, she had no comprehension. This happened often though and when neither one of them could find a way around the translation, they went to Tiriel. The elleth herself already waited for them in the dining hall. It looked different today. The walls were lined with flower strands and the tables had been cleared partially, to make way for the barrels and new, grander tables. As they sat down, Rúmil spoke to Tiriel much too rapidly for Lauren to even bother trying.

"Rúmil says you were asking about the festival of flowers," Tiriel said in common tongue.

"What is it?" Lauren blew the strand out hair out of her face again. "Seems like everyone is excited about it."

"It is the celebration for the arrival of spring," Her friend explained in the common tongue. "Every year when the flowers are in full blossom, we thank the Valar for the beauty and health of the forest. We haven't covered nature in our lessons yet. The festival is three nights so why don't we focus on some helpful vocabulary in our lessons until then?"

"Like what?" Lauren asked dubiously.

Tiriel said something in Elvish that made Rúmil nod excitedly. Then she translated for Lauren, "I just asked you if you wanted to dance."

"Hah! Now that's one phrase I won't need to learn."

"It will be great fun," Rúmil said with a charming smile. Lauren had seen how many elleths fell to his charisma, but she didn't care for it. The elf was too much of a flirt for her taste. He was a fierce and great friend, but Lauren only rolled her eyes at his attempts to lure her. He didn't seem to mind though. Strangely, he never tossed his playful banter at Tiriel. In front of the elleth, he behaved quite well.

"What happens at this festival then? Dancing and drinking I suppose?" When Tiriel gave her a hard look, Lauren sighed and slowly re-asked her questions in Elvish. She stumbled over her words, but after some help from Rúmil, she managed.

"Both," The guard nodded. "There will be music and wonderful food."

"Two days huh?" Lauren's eyes seemed to glaze over as she stared into space. Tiriel and Rumil exchanged a brief look.

"Lauren?" The elleth leaned forward, "What is wrong?"

"What? Oh, nothing." The mortal woman raised her cup to her lips. "Nothing at all."

* * *

"Pardon my interruption."

Tiriel and Lauren looked up from their studies. A guard stood in the doorway, bowing his head. "The Lady Galadriel has requested your presence."

"Oh," Lauren gave her friend a nervous glance. "Is everything alright?"

The guard spoke quickly, too fast for Lauren to understand. Rúmil and Tiriel, and the few other friends she'd made in the city all knew to speak slowly and clearly for her. Strangers however, spoke fluidly and without exaggerated pronunciation. At a loss, Lauren could only stare at the guard dumbly.

Sensing her distress, Tiriel repeated the guard's response slowly. "He says that he does not know the reason for your summoning. Go Lauren, we will continue tomorrow."

"Alright, see you then."

Instead of leading her to the Lord and Lady's quarters, the guard walked to a part of the city that Lauren did not know. She'd run past the gardens once, but never entered them. They passed through the archway of vines and flowers, then through a maze of hedges. They weren't tall or daunting, not like the mazes she'd seen in horror films. They were beautiful and short enough that if she stood on her tip-toes, she'd see over them. Just like the rest of the city, the gardens made Lauren feel out of place. Everything was too pretty and soft.

"I take my leave," The guard said formally. Realizing they'd come to a stop, Lauren took in her surroundings. They'd come to what seemed to be the center of the maze. She stood on the edge of a circular clearing, empty except for a white, marble pillar and bowl. The Lady Galadriel stood next to it, wearing a beautiful white gown. Suddenly, Lauren wished she wasn't wearing a brown and green tunic.

"Come, child," The elleth beckoned Lauren forward. "Tell me what you see."

Lauren had not looked into the magical waters since the day she'd arrived. Why did Galadriel want to try again now? Why bring her to the middle of a maze to do it? Cautiously, Lauren stepped up to the bowl and peered down. The water was clear and still, displaying the perfect reflection of Lauren and the green canopy above. Lauren blinked, testing her reflection. Nothing unusual happened and Lauren felt silly for staring at-

"What…" She jumped back from the water, hands rushing to the sides of her ears.

The Lady Galadriel reached out and placed her hands softly on Lauren's shoulders. "What did you see?"

"I…" Lauren's fingers rubbed the tips of her ears fervently. "I thought I saw…"

"I have seen a glimpse of it too," The elleth gently pulled the mortal back towards the water. "Do not be afraid. Look again."

Together, the elleth and woman looked down at the water again. The reflection of two elleths stared back at them. Lauren touched her right ear, as did her reflection, but found no tipped point.

"Why do I look like an elf?" She whispered, terrified of the answer.

"I do not know. For months I have not been able to see you in the water, but this morning I caught a glimpse of a future that has never been showed to me before. In this future, you were one of our people. Immortal and blessed by the Valar."

"But I'm mortal," Lauren wouldn't let go of her ears. The panic began to creep into her voice. Her chest felt tight and body heavy. "I still have normal ears. I can't see or hear like elves, I'm still normal. I can't-"

"Do not be frightened," The Lady said softly. "It is just one of many futures that may come to pass. I do not know what it means. There are worse things to see in the waters."

"I can't be an elf. I need to get home."

"Do not despair Lauren Harris. Elf or mortal, we will continue to search for your way home."

Nodding, Lauren let her arms fall back to her sides. "What else, ma'am did you see in this future?"

The Lady Galadriel smiled, "I saw life, laughter, and love."

"Love?" The word bewildered Lauren.

"It is just one possible future," The elleth told her. "Time will tell. It seems that you are losing your immunity to my magic Lauren Harris. Your spirit is stronger, I can feel you now. I can see you in the water."

The words sounded eerie and almost threatening, but Lauren knew that the Lady Galadriel did not have ill intentions. Still, what did it all mean?

"Perhaps you will see a future where I find my way home."

"Perhaps."

* * *

With the bowl of fruit secure in her left arm, Lauren knocked on the wooden door with her right. She only had to wait a few moments before the door opened, revealing an elleth with vibrant, green eyes. She opened her arms, "Lauren! Welcome!"

Hugging a pregnant elleth and keeping the bowl from falling proved awkward, but Lauren was glad to see Mallosdis. The elleth took the bowl gratefully and ushered her guest in. "Please, sit down."

"Hello Lauren," Orophin put the last of the plates on the table. He smiled at her, "It is good to see you."

Orophin had made a full recovery from his encounter with the troll. The several broken ribs and bones had forced him to remain in bed and home for two months, but slowly his health returned. When he could walk again, he'd asked for Lauren to meet him properly. Lauren remembered her shock and horror when she first met Orophin and his wife. Rúmil had told her that Orophin was married and doing well when she'd asked, but it wasn't until Mallodis stood in front of her that Lauren realized how lucky she'd been to shoot the troll in time. A child would have been born, never knowing its father.

"How many weeks left?" Lauren asked.

"Only three," Mallosdis rested her hands on her round stomach. "I think it is a she."

"Are you attending the festival tomorrow night?" Orophin asked, sitting down. Joining him, Lauren took her usual seat at the table. While she trained with Rúmil these past six weeks, she'd befriended his brother and sister-in-law. With the language barrier greatly lessened, Lauren enjoyed their company. It added a dose of normality to her life. Going over to a friend's house was something she did back home, in the normal world. Asking your pregnant friend about when the baby is due was something ordinary people did. Lauren just pretended the whole immortality and Middle Earth thing didn't exist.

Before she could respond to Orophin's question, the door opened and Rúmil stepped in. He did not bother knocking anymore. "Of course she is going brother! She has promised me a dance."

Lauren rolled her eyes.

"How unfortunate for you," Orophin said morosely.

"I made no such promise Rúmil," She muttered. Mallosdis and Rúmil sat at the table too and the meal commenced. Elves ate very healthily compared to people back home. Without fast food restaurants and supermarkets, meals consisted of food that could be picked and collected from gardens and fields of the city. Lauren had lost a noticeable amount of muscle, despite her best efforts to find and eat meat. However, finding it proved difficult. Elves were almost pure vegetarians and even though she grew stronger with her training, Lauren lost her build. Her arms and legs thinned to a lean, slim muscle level. If she didn't know better, she'd grown another inch as well. The change had been drastic enough that she'd tailored her clothes to fit her new, slim figure.

"Your hair looks beautiful tonight Lauren," Mallosdis sighed. "So full and shiny, I am envious."

For the first time, Lauren had freed her hair from its normal bun. Paranoid, Lauren tugged at the long braid. "Oh, thank you. Tiriel insisted on braiding it. She has ordered me to leave it down for the festival."

"It is very flattering," Orophin nodded in agreement with his wife. "Do all mortals in your realm wear it up like you usually do?"

"Only the women who are guards," Rúmil answered for her. He'd made so many inquires about her world that he prided himself on being to field his brother's questions. "Other women may do whatever they please."

"Although, braids are not as popular back home." Lauren added. "Why do so many of you have braids?"

"They represent our status as warriors," Orophin took a sip of wine. "It also is indicative of your experience and rank. New guards will only have one braid, but once you become seasoned, you may have multiple."

"Why does Haldir only have one then?" Lauren asked.

"He has enough kills and battles to cover his entire head in braids," Rúmil snorted. "He chooses to keep only one though."

"Well, that's modest of him."

Rúmil shrugged and seemingly bored of the topic asked, "Will you two be attending the festival?"

"Yes, but you will not find us dancing," Mallosdis chuckled, looking at her stomach. "Who will you be giving your flowers to Lauren?"

"Flowers?"

"Rúmil and Tiriel have not told you? It is part of the games. An elleth may place a wreath of flowers on the head of the elf she wishes to dance with."

"What if he doesn't want to dance with her?" Lauren laughed.

"They must! It is tradition," Mallosdis waved her hand towards her husband. "It took me many years to gather the courage to approach Orophin."

"Well, I don't really have anyone in mind."

Rúmil pretended to stab himself in the heart.

"Except for Rúmil of course," Lauren corrected herself. Together, they all laughed and continued to talk into the night. Only when Mallosdis yawned did everyone begin cleaning up their plates and glasses.

"Goodnight," Lauren hugged her hostess. "Thank you for having me over."

"You are welcome anytime, friend. We shall see you tomorrow at the festival."

Waving goodbye to Orophin and Rúmil, Lauren walked to the front door and opened it. Stepping out, she collided into something that caused the bowl to fall from her hand. With a crash, the bowl fell to the wood below and split in half.

"Will you ever stop being so oblivious to your surroundings?"

Lauren gaped, "Haldir?"

The Marchwarden stood over her with a look of amusement and surprise. "I have come pay my brother and his wife a visit and I find you here. Why is that?"

"We were just having dinner," She answered. "When did you get back?"

"The mortal dining with my brother?" He ignored her question.

Mortal. So he was back to referring to her status as an outsider. Even though he'd called her that many times before, it stung to hear him say it now. Lauren picked up the broken bowl and stepped around the elf.

"Good to see you too," She mumbled under her breath and began to leave.

"Wait-" Haldir's hand took hold of her arm, stopping her from walking away. He sighed, "My apologies. I am tired from the journey and am not myself."

They stared at each other for a few moments. Her eyes fell to his fingers which were still wrapped around her around. Haldir slowly released her and said, "You are looking well."

The compliment took her aback. Before she could think of a response, Haldir's hand went from her arm to the braid the rested over her shoulder. "I have never seen your hair down before-"

"Lauren? I heard something crash- Haldir!" Orophin appeared at the doorway. "You have returned! Mallosdis! Rúmil! Come see who has paid us a visit!"

The brothers embraced. When Haldir stepped back, he looked to his left and found that Lauren had disappeared.


End file.
